CVE-2022-50060
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a resource leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's octeontx2-af driver where MCAM entries may not be properly freed during system teardown. This affects systems using Marvell OcteonTX2 network adapters with the affected kernel driver. The vulnerability could lead to resource exhaustion and system instability.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with octeontx2-af 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
System crash or denial of service due to resource exhaustion, potentially requiring physical reboot
Likely Case
Gradual performance degradation and system instability over time as resources are leaked
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and resource limits in place
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger driver teardown sequences
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 3f8fe40ab7730cf8eb6f8b8ff412012f7f6f8f48, cc32347f48111eea8d0165538c92aca92ede83f6, dc5be2d4f9285efe0d16f1bf00250df91d05d809
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f8fe40ab7730cf8eb6f8b8ff412012f7f6f8f48
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify octeontx2-af driver is properly loaded.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable octeontx2-af driver
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver if OcteonTX2 hardware is not required
echo 'blacklist octeontx2-af' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor system resource usage (memory, kernel resources) for abnormal patterns
- Implement system monitoring to detect and alert on resource exhaustion conditions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if octeontx2-af driver is loaded: lsmod | grep octeontx2_afCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version contains fix commits: grep -r '3f8fe40ab7730cf8eb6f8b8ff412012f7f6f8f48\|cc32347f48111eea8d0165538c92aca92ede83f6\|dc5be2d4f9285efe0d16f1bf00250df91d05d809' /boot/System.map*📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages
- Resource allocation failures in dmesg
- System instability logs
Network Indicators:
- Network interface failures on OcteonTX2 adapters
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("octeontx2" OR "resource allocation failed" OR "kernel panic")