CVE-2022-48954: Vulnerability in Linux Linux

Severity: highType: vulnerabilityCVE-2022-48954

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/qeth: fix use-after-free in hsci KASAN found that addr was dereferenced after br2dev_event_work was freed. ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in qeth_l2_br2dev_worker+0x5ba/0x6b0 Read of size 1 at addr 00000000fdcea440 by task kworker/u760:4/540 CPU: 17 PID: 540 Comm: kworker/u760:4 Tainted: G E 6.1.0-20221128.rc7.git1.5aa3bed4ce83.300.fc36.s390x+kasan #1 Hardware name: IBM 8561 T01 703 (LPAR) Workqueue: 0.0.8000_event qeth_l2_br2dev_worker Call Trace: [<000000016944d4ce>] dump_stack_lvl+0xc6/0xf8 [<000000016942cd9c>] print_address_description.constprop.0+0x34/0x2a0 [<000000016942d118>] print_report+0x110/0x1f8 [<0000000167a7bd04>] kasan_report+0xfc/0x128 [<000000016938d79a>] qeth_l2_br2dev_worker+0x5ba/0x6b0 [<00000001673edd1e>] process_one_work+0x76e/0x1128 [<00000001673ee85c>] worker_thread+0x184/0x1098 [<000000016740718a>] kthread+0x26a/0x310 [<00000001672c606a>] __ret_from_fork+0x8a/0xe8 [<00000001694711da>] ret_from_fork+0xa/0x40 Allocated by task 108338: kasan_save_stack+0x40/0x68 kasan_set_track+0x36/0x48 __kasan_kmalloc+0xa0/0xc0 qeth_l2_switchdev_event+0x25a/0x738 atomic_notifier_call_chain+0x9c/0xf8 br_switchdev_fdb_notify+0xf4/0x110 fdb_notify+0x122/0x180 fdb_add_entry.constprop.0.isra.0+0x312/0x558 br_fdb_add+0x59e/0x858 rtnl_fdb_add+0x58a/0x928 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x5f8/0x8d8 netlink_rcv_skb+0x1f2/0x408 netlink_unicast+0x570/0x790 netlink_sendmsg+0x752/0xbe0 sock_sendmsg+0xca/0x110 ____sys_sendmsg+0x510/0x6a8 ___sys_sendmsg+0x12a/0x180 __sys_sendmsg+0xe6/0x168 __do_sys_socketcall+0x3c8/0x468 do_syscall+0x22c/0x328 __do_syscall+0x94/0xf0 system_call+0x82/0xb0 Freed by task 540: kasan_save_stack+0x40/0x68 kasan_set_track+0x36/0x48 kasan_save_free_info+0x4c/0x68 ____kasan_slab_free+0x14e/0x1a8 __kasan_slab_free+0x24/0x30 __kmem_cache_free+0x168/0x338 qeth_l2_br2dev_worker+0x154/0x6b0 process_one_work+0x76e/0x1128 worker_thread+0x184/0x1098 kthread+0x26a/0x310 __ret_from_fork+0x8a/0xe8 ret_from_fork+0xa/0x40 Last potentially related work creation: kasan_save_stack+0x40/0x68 __kasan_record_aux_stack+0xbe/0xd0 insert_work+0x56/0x2e8 __queue_work+0x4ce/0xd10 queue_work_on+0xf4/0x100 qeth_l2_switchdev_event+0x520/0x738 atomic_notifier_call_chain+0x9c/0xf8 br_switchdev_fdb_notify+0xf4/0x110 fdb_notify+0x122/0x180 fdb_add_entry.constprop.0.isra.0+0x312/0x558 br_fdb_add+0x59e/0x858 rtnl_fdb_add+0x58a/0x928 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x5f8/0x8d8 netlink_rcv_skb+0x1f2/0x408 netlink_unicast+0x570/0x790 netlink_sendmsg+0x752/0xbe0 sock_sendmsg+0xca/0x110 ____sys_sendmsg+0x510/0x6a8 ___sys_sendmsg+0x12a/0x180 __sys_sendmsg+0xe6/0x168 __do_sys_socketcall+0x3c8/0x468 do_syscall+0x22c/0x328 __do_syscall+0x94/0xf0 system_call+0x82/0xb0 Second to last potentially related work creation: kasan_save_stack+0x40/0x68 __kasan_record_aux_stack+0xbe/0xd0 kvfree_call_rcu+0xb2/0x760 kernfs_unlink_open_file+0x348/0x430 kernfs_fop_release+0xc2/0x320 __fput+0x1ae/0x768 task_work_run+0x1bc/0x298 exit_to_user_mode_prepare+0x1a0/0x1a8 __do_syscall+0x94/0xf0 system_call+0x82/0xb0 The buggy address belongs to the object at 00000000fdcea400 which belongs to the cache kmalloc-96 of size 96 The buggy address is located 64 bytes inside of 96-byte region [00000000fdcea400, 00000000fdcea460) The buggy address belongs to the physical page: page:000000005a9c26e8 refcount:1 mapcount:0 mapping:0000000000000000 index:0x0 pfn:0xfdcea flags: 0x3ffff00000000200(slab|node=0|zone=1|lastcpupid=0x1ffff) raw: 3ffff00000000200 0000000000000000 0000000100000122 000000008008cc00 raw: 0000000000000000 0020004100000000 ffffffff00000001 0000000000000000 page dumped because: kasan: bad access detected Memory state around the buggy address: 00000000fdcea300: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fc fc fc fc 00000000fdcea380: fb fb fb fb fb fb f ---truncated---

AI Analysis

Technical Summary

CVE-2022-48954 is a use-after-free vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel specifically affecting the s390 architecture's qeth network driver, which is used primarily on IBM Z mainframe systems. The vulnerability arises in the function qeth_l2_br2dev_worker, where a pointer (addr) is dereferenced after the associated memory has been freed, as detected by Kernel Address Sanitizer (KASAN). This use-after-free condition can lead to undefined behavior including potential kernel crashes, memory corruption, or escalation of privileges if exploited. The vulnerability is triggered during the processing of network bridge events related to the qeth driver, which handles network communication on s390 hardware. The detailed kernel stack trace shows that the issue occurs in the context of workqueue processing, involving network bridge forwarding database (FDB) notifications and netlink socket message handling. The bug is tied to the improper management of memory in the qeth driver’s event worker thread, where freed memory is still accessed, causing a critical memory safety flaw. This vulnerability was discovered and fixed in Linux kernel versions around 6.1.0-rc7, and affects specific commits identified by the given hashes. No public exploits are currently known, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The vulnerability is architecture-specific (s390) and tied to a specialized network driver, limiting its scope to IBM Z mainframe environments running vulnerable Linux kernel versions.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-48954 is primarily relevant to those operating IBM Z mainframe systems running Linux with the affected kernel versions. Such systems are typically used in large enterprises, financial institutions, government agencies, and critical infrastructure providers. Exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to kernel crashes resulting in denial of service, or potentially privilege escalation allowing attackers to gain unauthorized kernel-level access. This could compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical systems. Given the specialized nature of the affected hardware and software, the threat surface is limited but significant for organizations relying on s390 Linux environments. Disruption or compromise of mainframe systems could have severe operational and reputational consequences. However, the absence of known exploits and the requirement for specific hardware reduce the immediate risk. Nonetheless, the vulnerability should be addressed promptly to prevent future exploitation, especially in sectors with high security requirements and regulatory oversight in Europe.

Mitigation Recommendations

1. Immediate application of the official Linux kernel patches that fix the use-after-free in the qeth driver is essential. Organizations should track kernel updates from trusted sources and deploy them in a timely manner. 2. Conduct an inventory of all IBM Z mainframe systems running Linux to identify those using affected kernel versions and the qeth driver. 3. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on mainframe environments to detect anomalous behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4. Employ kernel hardening techniques such as Kernel Address Sanitizer (KASAN) in testing environments to detect similar memory safety issues proactively. 5. Limit network exposure of s390 Linux systems to trusted networks and restrict netlink socket communication where possible to reduce attack surface. 6. Coordinate with hardware and software vendors for guidance and support on secure configuration and patch management. 7. Develop incident response plans specific to mainframe Linux environments to quickly respond to potential exploitation scenarios. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on the unique characteristics of the s390 architecture and the qeth driver’s role in network processing.