CVE-2022-49161
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's MediaTek ASoC driver. When the mt8183_da7219_max98357_dev_probe function encounters an error, it fails to properly release a device node reference, causing a kernel memory leak. This affects Linux systems using MediaTek audio hardware.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with MediaTek ASoC 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, crashes, or denial of service.
Likely Case
Memory leak gradually consumes kernel resources, potentially leading to performance degradation or system instability over time.
If Mitigated
With proper kernel memory management and monitoring, impact is limited to minor resource consumption.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger specific error conditions in the driver initialization. No known active exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patched in kernel commits 28a265a1ee11febeec5ea73a804f30dcec3181ca and 9b9f6227e8d0c7c46b6d9d7b8a5c4e0536049fcf
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/28a265a1ee11febeec5ea73a804f30dcec3181ca
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix. 2. Reboot system to load patched kernel. 3. For embedded systems, update kernel from vendor or rebuild with patched source.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable affected hardware
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable driver by blacklisting or disabling the MediaTek ASoC module
echo 'blacklist snd-soc-mt8183-da7219-max98357' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-mtk-audio.conf
update-initramfs -u
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor kernel memory usage for unusual increases using tools like 'free', 'vmstat', or 'sar'
- Implement system monitoring to detect and alert on memory exhaustion conditions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if system uses MediaTek hardware and has the affected driver loaded: 'lsmod | grep snd_soc_mt8183_da7219_max98357'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version includes the fix commits: 'uname -r' and verify with distribution patch notes📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oom-killer messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- Driver initialization errors
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "oom-killer" OR "mt8183" OR "da7219")