CVE-2022-50350
📋 TL;DR
A race condition in the Linux kernel's iSCSI target subsystem allows a malicious initiator to cause a kernel crash by sending random data during login negotiation. This affects systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with iSCSI target functionality enabled. The vulnerability leads to a NULL pointer dereference and system crash.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially disrupting storage services and causing data unavailability.
Likely Case
System crash requiring reboot, causing temporary service disruption for iSCSI storage services.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched or if iSCSI target functionality is disabled.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to initiate iSCSI connections to target and send malformed packets during login phase. Timing-dependent race condition.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits: 1533b8b3058db618409f41554ebe768c2e3acfae, 3ecdca49ca49d4770639d81503c873b6d25887c4, fec1b2fa62c162d03f5dcd7b03e3c89d3116d49f)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1533b8b3058db618409f41554ebe768c2e3acfae
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify iSCSI target module loads correctly after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable iSCSI target module
LinuxPrevent loading of vulnerable iSCSI target kernel module
echo 'blacklist iscsi_target_mod' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod iscsi_target_mod
Restrict iSCSI network access
LinuxLimit iSCSI target exposure to trusted networks only
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3260 -s TRUSTED_NETWORK -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3260 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable iSCSI target functionality if not required
- Implement strict network segmentation for iSCSI traffic
- Monitor for connection attempts from untrusted sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if iSCSI target module is loaded: lsmod | grep iscsi_target_modCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version against patched versions from your distribution vendor📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- NULL pointer dereference errors in kernel logs
- iscsi_target_mod crash reports
Network Indicators:
- Multiple rapid iSCSI login attempts from single source
- Malformed iSCSI packets during login phase
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "iscsi_target" OR "login_work")