CVE-2022-50026
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is a shift out-of-bounds error in the Habana Gaudi driver in the Linux kernel, which could allow local attackers to cause memory corruption or kernel crashes. It affects systems using Habana Gaudi AI accelerators with vulnerable kernel versions. The vulnerability occurs during NIC queue validation when improper offset calculations are performed.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Habana Gaudi driver
📦 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
Local privilege escalation leading to full system compromise, denial of service causing system crashes, or arbitrary code execution in kernel context.
Likely Case
Kernel panic or system crash resulting in denial of service, potentially requiring physical access or reboot to restore functionality.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if proper access controls restrict local user access and the system doesn't use Habana Gaudi accelerators.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and knowledge of driver internals. No public exploits have been reported as of knowledge cutoff.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel commits: 01622098aeb05a5efbb727199bbc2a4653393255, 19958bf4ef3124f6e93fd9e2de0b54d2a356a4db, b09e5ab18c9f52ff14cf968770e15d5b2dd85c43
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/01622098aeb05a5efbb727199bbc2a4653393255
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel. 4. Verify Gaudi driver is updated if installed separately.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Gaudi driver module
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable Gaudi driver if AI accelerator functionality is not required
echo 'blacklist habanalabs' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod habanalabs
Restrict local user access
allLimit local user accounts and implement strict access controls to reduce attack surface
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit local user accounts on affected systems
- Isolate systems with Gaudi accelerators in separate network segments with no user access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if habanalabs module is loaded: lsmod | grep habanalabs && uname -rCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated and check git log for fix commits: git log --oneline | grep -E '01622098aeb05a5efbb727199bbc2a4653393255|19958bf4ef3124f6e93fd9e2de0b54d2a356a4db|b09e5ab18c9f52ff14cf968770e15d5b2dd85c43'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- Oops messages in dmesg or /var/log/kern.log
- System crash/reboot events
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "general protection fault") AND process="habanalabs"