CVE-2022-49060
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SMC (Shared Memory Communications) networking subsystem allows local attackers to cause a kernel panic (denial of service). This affects Linux systems with SMC enabled, primarily enterprise servers using IBM Power or System z architectures.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attacker triggers kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially disrupting critical services.
Likely Case
Local user or process causes system instability or crash through accidental or intentional triggering of the bug.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if SMC is disabled or system has proper access controls limiting local user privileges.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to interact with SMC networking functionality.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Multiple stable kernel versions with fixes available (see git.kernel.org references in CVE).
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/22025513ced3d599ee8b24169141c95cf2467a4a
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable SMC module
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable SMC kernel module if not required.
echo 'install smc /bin/false' >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-smc.conf
rmmod smc
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems using mandatory access controls or privilege separation.
- Monitor system logs for kernel panic events and implement redundancy for critical services.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if SMC module is loaded: lsmod | grep smc. If loaded and kernel version is unpatched, system may be vulnerable.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version matches patched version from your distribution and SMC module functions without crashes.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages in /var/log/messages or dmesg
- NULL pointer dereference errors mentioning smc_pnet_find_ib()
Network Indicators:
- Unusual SMC protocol activity from local users
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic") AND "smc"🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/22025513ced3d599ee8b24169141c95cf2467a4a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35b91e49bc80ca944a8679c3b139ddaf2f8eea0f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3a523807f01455fe9a0c1a433f27cd4411ee400f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a05f5e26cb8bb4d07e0595545fcad1bb406f0085
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d22f4f977236f97e01255a80bca2ea93a8094fc8
