CVE-2022-49510 – This CVE describes a NULL pointer dereference v... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-49510?

CVE-2022-49510 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's OMAP DRM driver. An attacker could potentially cause a kernel panic or system crash by triggering this condition. Systems using affected Linux kernel versions with OMAP DRM support are vulnerable.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's OMAP DRM driver. An attacker could potentially cause a kernel panic or system crash by triggering this condition. Systems using affected Linux kernel versions with OMAP DRM support are vulnerable.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not explicitly stated, but patches exist for stable kernel trees. Likely affects versions before the fix commits.

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions with OMAP DRM support enabled

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable if CONFIG_DRM_OMAP is enabled in kernel configuration. OMAP DRM is specific to Texas Instruments OMAP/AM/DM SoCs.

📦 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

Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially requiring physical access to restart the system.

🟠

Likely Case

Local denial of service through kernel crash, requiring system reboot to restore functionality.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact if system has proper access controls preventing unprivileged users from accessing DRM interfaces.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local vulnerability requiring access to the DRM subsystem, not remotely exploitable.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could trigger the vulnerability, potentially causing system instability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to interact with DRM subsystem. Likely requires specific hardware/driver conditions to trigger.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 08d9a75eab594ca508a440db7c73064498d26687, 8f2a3970c969d0d8d7289a4c65edcedafc16fd92, d2507be660310bb9bcca918f81f49b8bba07e462

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/08d9a75eab594ca508a440db7c73064498d26687

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Rebuild kernel if using custom kernel. 3. Reboot system to load patched kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable OMAP DRM support

linux

Remove OMAP DRM driver support from kernel configuration

# Reconfigure kernel with CONFIG_DRM_OMAP=n
# Rebuild and install kernel

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict access to DRM subsystem interfaces using SELinux/AppArmor policies
Implement strict user privilege separation to limit who can access graphics subsystems

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and configuration: 'uname -r' and verify if CONFIG_DRM_OMAP is enabled in /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits or is newer than patched versions. Check kernel changelog for fix commits.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
System crash/reboot events

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel panic events or system crash logs related to DRM/OMAP subsystems

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-49510

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-476

EPSS Score: 0.06% exploit probability (17th percentile)

Published: February 26, 2025

Last Updated: October 1, 2025

🔗 References

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