CVE-2022-48928
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory resource leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's men_z188_adc driver. If iio_device_register() fails during device initialization, the driver fails to properly unmap previously allocated memory regions, potentially leading to kernel memory exhaustion. This affects Linux systems using the affected driver for MEN Z188 ADC hardware.
💻 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 →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 →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
Repeated exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or kernel panic.
Likely Case
Local users with sufficient privileges could trigger the error condition, causing gradual memory leakage and potential system performance degradation.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact is limited to local denial of service requiring privileged access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger the specific error condition in the driver initialization.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the fix commits listed in references
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f88722313645a903f4d420ba61ddc690ec2481d
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable men_z188_adc driver
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver module
echo 'blacklist men_z188_adc' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod men_z188_adc
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems using this driver
- Implement kernel memory monitoring and alerting for unusual allocation patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if men_z188_adc driver is loaded: lsmod | grep men_z188_adc. Check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits. Check dmesg for driver initialization errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- Driver initialization errors
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
Search for kernel panic events or memory allocation failures in system logs🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f88722313645a903f4d420ba61ddc690ec2481d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1aa12ecfdcbafebc218910ec47acf6262e600cf5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/53d43a9c8dd224e66559fe86af1e473802c7130e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5723b422f564af15f2e3bc0592fd6376a0a6c45
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce1076b33e299dc8d270e4450a420a18bfb3e190
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d6ed5426a7fad36cf928c244483ba24e72359638
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e0a2e37f303828d030a83f33ffe14b36cb88d563
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe73477802981bd0d0d70f2b22f109bcca801bdb
