CVE-2022-50535
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a null pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD display driver within the Linux kernel. If exploited, it could cause a kernel panic or system crash when resuming from suspend mode. This affects Linux systems with AMD graphics hardware using the affected kernel versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with AMD display driver (drm/amd/display)
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially causing data loss or corruption if filesystems aren't properly unmounted.
Likely Case
System crash or freeze when resuming from suspend/hibernation, requiring hard reboot.
If Mitigated
Minor disruption requiring system reboot with no data loss if proper filesystem journaling is enabled.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger display subsystem operations during resume. No public exploits have been reported.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 00b655fa96b4e941351cc4bf5ca755a65ae94a8e, 7a7175a2cd84b7874bebbf8e59f134557a34161b, 8e365f1bd672cc9320a936f6ae6f8087aa40e9bc, 9f73793b81637c60ccc83cc508645310b8ab7d80, bb9a5562beb982aa5ebb73c521c49596ff8b8030
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00b655fa96b4e941351cc4bf5ca755a65ae94a8e
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. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable suspend/hibernation
linuxPrevent system from entering suspend or hibernation modes where the vulnerability triggers
systemctl mask sleep.target suspend.target hibernate.target hybrid-sleep.target
Disable AMD display driver module
linuxTemporarily disable the affected driver module (will disable AMD graphics functionality)
echo 'blacklist amdgpu' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-amd.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Avoid using suspend/hibernation functionality on affected systems
- Restrict local access to prevent potential exploitation by untrusted users
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if AMD graphics are present: lspci | grep -i amd && uname -rCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated and check if the fix commits are present in kernel source📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
- System crash during resume from suspend
Network Indicators:
- No network indicators - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
EventID: Kernel panic OR 'Oops' OR 'general protection fault' during system resume🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00b655fa96b4e941351cc4bf5ca755a65ae94a8e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7a7175a2cd84b7874bebbf8e59f134557a34161b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e365f1bd672cc9320a936f6ae6f8087aa40e9bc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f73793b81637c60ccc83cc508645310b8ab7d80
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bb9a5562beb982aa5ebb73c521c49596ff8b8030
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d236103782de25736996a45bd36ac2a89bdc93c6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd79b61af2782f8875c78f50cdb8630ec43e2990
