CVE-2022-49848
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Qualcomm QMP combo PHY driver allows local attackers to cause a kernel panic (system crash) by triggering runtime resume operations. This affects Linux systems using Qualcomm hardware with the qcom-qmp-combo driver, particularly those without separate PCS_USB register offsets like SC7180 platforms.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local denial of service through kernel panic, potentially leading to system instability or data loss if critical operations are interrupted.
Likely Case
System crash requiring reboot when specific PHY operations are performed, affecting device functionality until restart.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper access controls preventing local users from triggering the vulnerable code path.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to trigger PHY runtime resume operations on affected hardware.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel commits 04948e757148f870a31f4887ea2239403f516c3c and c559a8b5cfa3db196ced0257b288f17027621348
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04948e757148f870a31f4887ea2239403f516c3c
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing fixes 2. Reboot system 3. Verify kernel version after reboot
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable affected PHY functionality
linuxPrevent runtime resume operations on vulnerable hardware if not required
echo 'blacklist phy_qcom_qmp' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to prevent triggering vulnerable code paths
- Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to PHY operations
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if using Qualcomm hardware with qcom-qmp-combo driverCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fixes 04948e757148f870a31f4887ea2239403f516c3c or c559a8b5cfa3db196ced0257b288f17027621348📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
- PHY driver crash logs
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic" OR "qcom-qmp-combo")