CVE-2022-49283
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's sysfb firmware subsystem. When platform device registration fails, the kernel doesn't properly free allocated resources, leading to a gradual memory exhaustion. This affects all Linux systems using the vulnerable kernel versions.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, crashes, or denial of service through resource depletion.
Likely Case
Intermittent system instability or performance degradation due to gradual memory leak accumulation over time.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and resource limits in place; may cause occasional performance issues.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to trigger platform device registration failures; typically requires local access or kernel-level control.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: 202c08914ba50dd324e42d5ad99535a89f242560, b3e38f939ab4d0d86f56bff3362c3f88c4b2ad32, bb7fcbe80a013dc883181dc818c407d38558f76c, fed4df558b8cdb6f3beea38a7c977f118f082b0d
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/202c08914ba50dd324e42d5ad99535a89f242560
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Memory monitoring and limits
linuxImplement kernel memory monitoring and set resource limits to detect/prevent memory exhaustion
# Monitor kernel memory: cat /proc/meminfo | grep Slab
# Set memory limits for processes
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict resource monitoring and alerting for kernel memory usage
- Restrict local user access and minimize kernel module loading to reduce attack surface
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version against distribution security advisories; examine if sysfb module is loaded: lsmod | grep sysfbCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version after update matches patched version; check system stability and memory usage patterns📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- System instability logs
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "slab allocation" OR "sysfb")