CVE-2022-48728
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is a NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's InfiniBand hfi1 driver that can cause a kernel panic during early initialization of IPoIB (IP over InfiniBand) interfaces. It affects systems using HFI1 InfiniBand hardware with IPoIB enabled. The vulnerability allows local attackers to crash the kernel, leading to denial of service.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with hfi1 driver
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attacker triggers kernel panic, causing system crash and denial of service, potentially requiring physical access or reboot to restore functionality.
Likely Case
System crash during IPoIB interface initialization, leading to service disruption and requiring reboot.
If Mitigated
No impact if proper access controls prevent local users from triggering the vulnerable code path.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to trigger IPoIB initialization failure path. No known public exploits.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel stable releases containing the fix commits
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1899c3cad265c4583658aed5293d02e8af84276b
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable IPoIB on HFI1 interfaces
linuxPrevent IPoIB initialization on HFI1 InfiniBand hardware to avoid vulnerable code path
modprobe -r ib_ipoib
echo 'blacklist ib_ipoib' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
Disable HFI1 driver
linuxCompletely disable HFI1 InfiniBand driver if not needed
modprobe -r hfi1
echo 'blacklist hfi1' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to prevent triggering vulnerable code path
- Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to hfi1 or IPoIB initialization
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if hfi1 driver is loaded with IPoIB enabled: lsmod | grep -E 'hfi1|ib_ipoib'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version is updated and verify no kernel panics occur during IPoIB interface initialization📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages mentioning hfi1_ipoib_setup_rn, hfi1_ipoib_txreq_deinit, or NULL pointer dereference at 00000000000001b0
- System crash/reboot events during InfiniBand initialization
Network Indicators:
- Sudden loss of InfiniBand connectivity
- IPoIB interface initialization failures
SIEM Query:
event_type:"kernel_panic" AND (message:"hfi1" OR message:"ipoib" OR message:"NULL pointer")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1899c3cad265c4583658aed5293d02e8af84276b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a9bd1e6780fc59f81466ec3489d5ad535a37190
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f8f55b92edd621f056bdf09e572092849fabd83
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3dd4d2682f2a796121609e5f3bbeb1243198c53
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1899c3cad265c4583658aed5293d02e8af84276b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a9bd1e6780fc59f81466ec3489d5ad535a37190
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f8f55b92edd621f056bdf09e572092849fabd83
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3dd4d2682f2a796121609e5f3bbeb1243198c53
