CVE-2022-49119
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's pm8001 SCSI driver. When firmware flash update requests fail, allocated memory isn't properly freed, potentially leading to kernel memory exhaustion. Systems using pm8001-based SCSI controllers are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with pm8001 SCSI driver
📦 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 cause kernel memory exhaustion leading to system instability, crashes, or denial of service.
Likely Case
Memory leak gradually consumes kernel memory over time, potentially causing performance degradation or system instability.
If Mitigated
With proper monitoring and memory limits, impact is limited to potential performance issues.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to trigger firmware flash update failures; not directly remote exploitable.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: a25ed5f21f94f9ae4bcc8dd747e978668890c921, d83574666bac4b1462e90df393fbed6c5f57d1a3, e5ecdb01952f230921aa8163d8d7f4c97c925ed8, f792a3629f4c4aa4c3703d66b43ce1edcc3ec09a, fe5b8ea5583b5c3f6f68e06acba50387edf3b5d5
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a25ed5f21f94f9ae4bcc8dd747e978668890c921
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repository. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version matches patched release.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable pm8001 module
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver if not required
echo 'blacklist pm8001' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-pm8001.conf
rmmod pm8001
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor kernel memory usage for unusual increases
- Restrict local access to systems with pm8001 controllers
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if pm8001 module is loaded: lsmod | grep pm8001 AND check kernel version against patched releasesCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits and pm8001 module loads without issues📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oom-killer messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- pm8001 driver error messages
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("pm8001" OR "memory allocation failure" OR "out of memory")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a25ed5f21f94f9ae4bcc8dd747e978668890c921
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d83574666bac4b1462e90df393fbed6c5f57d1a3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5ecdb01952f230921aa8163d8d7f4c97c925ed8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f792a3629f4c4aa4c3703d66b43ce1edcc3ec09a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe5b8ea5583b5c3f6f68e06acba50387edf3b5d5
