CVE-2022-48924 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel specifically related to the thermal management driver int340x, which handles ACPI thermal notifications on Intel TigerLake platforms. The issue is a memory leak in the function int3400_notify(), where allocated memory is not properly freed, leading to unreferenced objects accumulating over time. The vulnerability manifests as a failure to call kfree() on allocated memory, causing a leak of 32 bytes per notification event. This leak occurs during the processing of ACPI thermal events dispatched by the kernel worker threads. The backtrace indicates the leak happens in the kernel's memory allocation tracking and string formatting functions (kvasprintf and kasprintf) used within int3400_notify(). Although the leak size per event is small, continuous triggering can lead to significant memory consumption, potentially degrading system performance or causing resource exhaustion. The vulnerability affects Linux kernel versions identified by the commit hash 38e44da591303d08b0d965a033e11ade284999d0, which corresponds to a specific kernel release series. The fix involves proper invocation of kfree() to release allocated memory, preventing the leak. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. This vulnerability is primarily a resource management flaw rather than a direct code execution or privilege escalation issue.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-48924 is primarily related to system stability and availability rather than confidentiality or integrity. Systems running affected Linux kernel versions on Intel TigerLake hardware could experience gradual memory exhaustion due to the leak, leading to degraded performance or potential crashes in critical infrastructure or servers. This could affect data centers, cloud providers, and enterprises relying on Linux-based servers or workstations with TigerLake processors. While the vulnerability does not directly enable remote code execution or privilege escalation, the resulting denial of service through resource depletion could disrupt business operations, especially in environments with high thermal event frequency or long uptimes. Organizations with large-scale deployments of Linux on TigerLake platforms should be aware of the risk of performance degradation and plan for timely patching to maintain service reliability.

To mitigate CVE-2022-48924, European organizations should: 1) Identify and inventory Linux systems running affected kernel versions on Intel TigerLake hardware. 2) Apply the official Linux kernel patches that fix the memory leak by ensuring kfree() is called appropriately in int3400_notify(). If vendor-specific distributions are used, monitor for vendor-provided updates addressing this issue. 3) Monitor system memory usage and kernel logs for signs of memory leaks or thermal event anomalies, especially on systems with prolonged uptimes. 4) Implement proactive system reboots or memory management strategies as interim measures if patching is delayed. 5) Engage with hardware and OS vendors to confirm the deployment of fixes and validate system stability post-update. 6) Consider disabling or limiting thermal event notifications if feasible and safe, as a temporary workaround to reduce leak triggers. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on hardware-specific identification, monitoring, and vendor coordination.