CVE-2022-49073
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write in the Linux kernel's sata_dwc_460ex driver that can cause kernel crashes or potential privilege escalation. It affects Linux systems using the affected SATA driver, particularly on PowerPC 44x platforms. The issue occurs when the driver incorrectly handles internal ATA tags, leading to memory corruption.
💻 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
Kernel panic leading to system crash, potential privilege escalation to kernel mode, or arbitrary code execution in kernel context.
Likely Case
System instability, kernel crashes, denial of service affecting SATA operations, particularly during disk operations.
If Mitigated
Limited to denial of service on affected systems if proper access controls prevent unprivileged users from triggering the vulnerability.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering specific SATA operations through the affected driver. The crash reports indicate it can be triggered during normal SCSI error handling.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 234c0132f76f0676d175757f61b0025191a3d935, 3a8751c0d4e24129e72dcec0139e99833b13904a, 55e1465ba79562a191708a40eeae3f8082a209e3, 596c7efd69aae94f4b0e91172b075eb197958b99, 7aa8104a554713b685db729e66511b93d989dd6a
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/234c0132f76f0676d175757f61b0025191a3d935
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: apply security updates from your vendor. 3. Rebuild and install kernel if compiling from source. 4. Reboot system to load patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable affected SATA driver
LinuxBlacklist or disable the sata_dwc_460ex kernel module if not needed
echo 'blacklist sata_dwc_460ex' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod sata_dwc_460ex
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to system to prevent unprivileged users from triggering SATA operations
- Monitor system logs for kernel crashes related to SATA operations and investigate promptly
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if sata_dwc_460ex module is loaded: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep sata_dwc_460ex'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is patched and check dmesg for absence of sata_dwc_460ex related crashes📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel NULL pointer dereference messages
- Oops messages mentioning sata_dwc_460ex
- Kernel panic logs during SATA operations
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local driver vulnerability
SIEM Query:
kernel: "BUG: Kernel NULL pointer dereference" AND "sata_dwc" OR kernel: "Oops" AND "sata_dwc_460ex"🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/234c0132f76f0676d175757f61b0025191a3d935
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3a8751c0d4e24129e72dcec0139e99833b13904a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55e1465ba79562a191708a40eeae3f8082a209e3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/596c7efd69aae94f4b0e91172b075eb197958b99
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7aa8104a554713b685db729e66511b93d989dd6a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a05a6952ecd59aaa62cbdcdaf523ae2c8f436e8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc629224aa62f23849cae83717932985ac51232d
