CVE-2022-49830
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) subsystem. When drm_dev_init() fails to add a cleanup callback, it doesn't properly release device references, causing kernel memory to leak. This affects Linux systems with DRM graphics drivers loaded.
💻 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 →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 →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.
Likely Case
Gradual memory consumption over time when DRM initialization fails repeatedly, potentially degrading system performance.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and restart policies in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to trigger DRM initialization failures; more of a reliability issue than security vulnerability.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Multiple stable kernel versions with commits: 07e56de8766f, bd8d1335e6e7, c47a823ea186, ff963634f7b2
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/07e56de8766fe5be67252596244b84ac0ec0de91
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version matches patched release.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable DRM drivers
linuxBlacklist or prevent loading of affected DRM kernel modules if not required
echo 'blacklist drm' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
update-initramfs -u
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor kernel memory usage and restart systems showing abnormal memory growth
- Restrict kernel module loading to trusted users only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version against distribution security advisories; examine if DRM subsystem is loaded: lsmod | grep drmCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes one of the fix commits; check /proc/slabinfo for abnormal memory allocations📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages related to DRM
- System logs showing memory allocation failures
- dmesg output with 'unreferenced object' warnings
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("drm" OR "memory leak" OR "unreferenced object")