CVE-2022-49947
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is a null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's binder driver that can cause kernel crashes or denial of service. It affects Android devices and Linux systems using binder IPC when a process receives transactions without proper memory mapping initialization. The issue allows local attackers to trigger kernel panics.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
- Android
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially causing data loss or system instability.
Likely Case
Local denial of service through kernel crash or system instability when malicious applications trigger the condition.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper access controls limiting binder usage to trusted processes only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Syzbot provided reproducible crash reports. Exploitation requires local access and ability to interact with binder interface.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel stable releases with commits 1da52815d5f1, 81203ab7a6ef, b2a97babb0a5
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1da52815d5f1b654c89044db0cdc6adce43da1f1
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing fixes. 2. For Android devices, apply vendor security updates. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable binder module
linuxRemove or blacklist binder kernel module if not required
echo 'blacklist binder' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-binder.conf
rmmod binder
Restrict binder access
linuxUse SELinux/AppArmor to restrict which processes can access binder
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit which users/processes can interact with binder IPC
- Monitor system logs for binder-related crashes and investigate suspicious processes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if binder is loaded: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep binder'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fixes: 'uname -r' should be newer than vulnerable versions. Check for binder crashes in dmesg.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- null pointer dereference in binder_alloc
- KASAN reports for binder
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("binder" AND ("null-ptr-deref" OR "KASAN" OR "panic"))