CVE-2022-49406
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's block layer could cause a deadlock when reading sysfs attributes during disk removal. This affects Linux systems with specific kernel versions and could lead to system instability or denial of service. The vulnerability requires local access to trigger.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
System deadlock requiring hard reboot, causing denial of service and potential data loss if filesystems are affected.
Likely Case
Temporary system hang or kernel panic when removing storage devices, requiring system restart.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact during storage operations with no security compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and specific timing during storage device removal operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: 41e46b3c2aa24f755b2ae9ec4ce931ba5f0d8532, 717b078bc745ba9a262abebed9806a17e8bbb77b, dc107c805cde709866b59867ef72b9390199205e
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41e46b3c2aa24f755b2ae9ec4ce931ba5f0d8532
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version matches patched release.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid concurrent storage operations
linuxPrevent simultaneous disk removal and sysfs attribute reading operations
Disable affected sysfs interface
linuxRemove or restrict access to block layer sysfs attributes if not needed
echo 0 > /sys/block/[device]/queue/independent_access_ranges
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to prevent triggering the race condition
- Implement monitoring for system hangs during storage operations and have reboot procedures ready
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and compare with distribution's security advisories. Vulnerable if using unpatched kernel with affected code.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version matches patched release from vendor advisory. Check that commit 41e46b3c2aa24f755b2ae9ec4ce931ba5f0d8532 is included.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- System hang during storage operations
- Lockdep warnings in dmesg
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("deadlock" OR "lockdep" OR "sysfs_lock" OR "blk_ia_range")