CVE-2022-48867
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DMA engine driver for Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (DSA) devices. It allows local attackers to cause kernel crashes or potentially execute arbitrary code by triggering page faults during driver unload. Systems using Intel DSA hardware with affected kernel versions are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation leading to full system compromise via kernel code execution.
Likely Case
Kernel panic or system crash causing denial of service.
If Mitigated
Limited to denial of service if kernel hardening features prevent code execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to trigger driver unload scenarios. The vulnerability is triggered during specific driver cleanup sequences.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 1beeec45f9ac31eba52478379f70a5fa9c2ad005 and b9e8e3fcfec625fc1c2f68f684448aeeb882625b
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1beeec45f9ac31eba52478379f70a5fa9c2ad005
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution. 2. For custom kernels, apply the two referenced git commits. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Intel DSA driver
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable idxd driver module
echo 'blacklist idxd' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod idxd
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems with Intel DSA hardware
- Implement kernel hardening features like KASLR and SMAP/SMEP to reduce exploitation risk
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if idxd driver is loaded: 'lsmod | grep idxd'. Check kernel version against distribution security advisories.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits or is newer than your distribution's patched version. Check 'dmesg' for idxd driver errors after system operations.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages with 'not-present page' errors
- BUG: unable to handle page fault for address related to idxd driver
- dmesg entries showing idxd driver failures
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("not-present page" OR "idxd" OR "page fault" AND "ff391c97c70c9040")