CVE-2022-50364
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's I2C multiplexer driver could cause kernel crashes or denial of service. This affects systems using the I2C multiplexer with the reg driver, primarily embedded Linux devices and servers with specific hardware configurations. Attackers could potentially trigger system instability.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, requiring physical or remote reboot.
Likely Case
System instability or crash affecting the specific I2C bus functionality, potentially disrupting hardware monitoring or control.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper kernel hardening and privilege separation limiting exploitability.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to trigger the vulnerable code path through I2C operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the fix commits (e.g., 5.15.90+, 5.19.17+, 6.0.15+, 6.1.1+)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d47b79d2bd39cc6369eccf94a06568d84c906ae
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update kernel to patched version from your distribution. 2. Reboot system. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable I2C multiplexer reg driver
LinuxRemove or disable the vulnerable kernel module if not needed
modprobe -r i2c_mux_reg
echo 'blacklist i2c_mux_reg' > /etc/modprobe.d/disable-i2c-mux-reg.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access and implement strict privilege separation
- Monitor system logs for kernel panic or I2C-related errors
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if i2c_mux_reg module is loaded: lsmod | grep i2c_mux_reg AND check kernel version against patched versionsCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is patched and module loads without errors in dmesg📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg/kern.log
- I2C bus errors
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic" OR "i2c_mux_reg")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d47b79d2bd39cc6369eccf94a06568d84c906ae
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/61df25c41b8e0d2c988ccf17139f70075a2e1ba4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8212800943997fab61874550278d653cb378c60c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5049b3ad9446203b916ee375f30fa217735f63a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f7a440c89b6d460154efeb058272760e41bdfea8
