CVE-2022-48934 – This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-48934?

CVE-2022-48934 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's nfp (Netronome Flow Processor) driver. The flaw occurs when the nfp_tunnel_add_shared_mac() function fails to properly handle error conditions, potentially causing kernel memory exhaustion. Systems using Netronome network adapters with the nfp driver are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's nfp (Netronome Flow Processor) driver. The flaw occurs when the nfp_tunnel_add_shared_mac() function fails to properly handle error conditions, potentially causing kernel memory exhaustion. Systems using Netronome network adapters with the nfp driver are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with nfp driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with Netronome network adapters using the nfp driver. Most standard Linux installations are not vulnerable unless using this specific hardware.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or potential kernel crashes.

🟠

Likely Case

Memory leak leading to gradual performance degradation and eventual system instability requiring reboot.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory limits in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or specialized network access to trigger.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be exploited by malicious local users or through compromised internal services.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access or ability to trigger specific nfp driver operations. No public exploits known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 3a14d0888eb4b0045884126acc69abfb7b87814d, 4086d2433576baf85f0e538511df97c8101e0a10, 5ad5886f85b6bd893e3ed19013765fb0c243c069, 9d8097caa73200710d52b9f4d9f430548f46a900, af4bc921d39dffdb83076e0a7eed1321242b7d87

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=3a14d0888eb4b0045884126acc69abfb7b87814d

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check with your distribution for specific patched kernel versions. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable nfp driver

linux

Remove or blacklist the nfp driver if Netronome hardware is not required

echo 'blacklist nfp' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nfp.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor system memory usage and kernel logs for signs of memory leaks
Restrict local user access to systems with vulnerable nfp driver

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if nfp module is loaded: lsmod | grep nfp. Check kernel version against patched versions from your distribution.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes the fix commits. Check with 'uname -r' and compare with distribution's patched kernel list.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel OOM (Out of Memory) messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
Increasing memory usage without clear cause

Network Indicators:

Unusual network traffic patterns if nfp driver is involved

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("Out of memory" OR "kernel: Out of memory" OR "memory leak")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-48934

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-401

Published: August 22, 2024

Last Updated: August 22, 2024

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2022-48934, you might also want to check these: