CVE-2022-50324
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's pxa2xx-flash driver. When the driver fails to remap memory during device probe, it doesn't properly free allocated resources, leading to kernel memory exhaustion over time. This affects Linux systems using the pxa2xx-flash MTD driver.
💻 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, denial of service, or kernel panic.
Likely Case
Gradual memory leak during device initialization failures, potentially causing system performance degradation over time.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory limits in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires specific hardware configuration and ability to trigger driver probe failures. Not remotely exploitable.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: 1d0c2b762dad2b8dd166e17c0e90b88b86a3284f, 2399401feee27c639addc5b7e6ba519d3ca341bf, 6fa9550ef3e13d7e9b2d4db6dd57292ccd072a90, 932baf593eb63dff40e40d7674f076fb7932cd5b, a1b061cafdbcb1ff259731f30e2bdc1de64dcaba
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d0c2b762dad2b8dd166e17c0e90b88b86a3284f
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable pxa2xx-flash driver
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver module
echo 'blacklist pxa2xx-flash' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod pxa2xx-flash
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor kernel memory usage for unusual patterns
- Implement system memory limits and alerts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if pxa2xx-flash driver is loaded: lsmod | grep pxa2xx-flashCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version against patched versions from git commits📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oom-killer messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- Driver probe failure messages
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("oom-killer" OR "memory allocation failure" OR "pxa2xx-flash")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d0c2b762dad2b8dd166e17c0e90b88b86a3284f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2399401feee27c639addc5b7e6ba519d3ca341bf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6fa9550ef3e13d7e9b2d4db6dd57292ccd072a90
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/932baf593eb63dff40e40d7674f076fb7932cd5b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1b061cafdbcb1ff259731f30e2bdc1de64dcaba
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cb3f35f44887a8486737fe88d58050f1df290758
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf9c4c25caad05c6b492cbba739a467511814279
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2324a0912ad26a0ea5baaf81aed0ca880804158
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f35981083cb3fc1ba6427c1543152c5e3f59d104
