CVE-2022-49401
📋 TL;DR
This CVE-2022-49401 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Linux kernel's page_owner subsystem where strlcpy() is used incorrectly with current->comm[] (process name), which isn't guaranteed to be null-terminated. This can cause kernel crashes or potential privilege escalation. It affects Linux systems with the page_owner feature enabled.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash, or potential privilege escalation to kernel mode if combined with other vulnerabilities.
Likely Case
Kernel crash/panic causing system instability and denial of service.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if page_owner is disabled or systems are patched.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and page_owner feature enabled. Triggered during memory allocation operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel commit 5cd9900a1ac8b0a4ff3cd97d4d77b7711be435bf and backports
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5cd9900a1ac8b0a4ff3cd97d4d77b7711be435bf
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing fix commit 2. Reboot system 3. Verify kernel version with 'uname -r'
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable PAGE_OWNER feature
LinuxDisable CONFIG_PAGE_OWNER kernel configuration to prevent vulnerability trigger
echo 0 > /sys/kernel/debug/page_owner
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable page_owner feature via kernel command line or sysfs
- Restrict local user access to prevent privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if page_owner is enabled: 'cat /sys/kernel/debug/page_owner' and check kernel versionCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version contains fix commit and page_owner functions properly📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs with fortify_panic
- Buffer overflow detection in kernel logs
- System crashes during memory allocation
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
kernel: "fortify_panic" OR "buffer overflow in __fortify_strlen" OR "page_owner" AND panic