CVE-2022-49399 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel specifically related to the goldfish TTY (teletypewriter) driver, which is commonly used in Android emulator environments and certain virtualized setups. The issue arises from improper resource management in the goldfish_tty_probe() and goldfish_tty_remove() functions. In these functions, the tty_port structure, which is initialized via tty_port_init(), is not properly destroyed in error paths or during device removal. The failure to call tty_port_destroy() leads to resource leaks, potentially causing kernel memory to be consumed unnecessarily. While this vulnerability does not directly enable code execution or privilege escalation, the resource leak can degrade system stability and availability over time, especially under repeated device initialization and removal cycles. The fix involves ensuring that tty_port_destroy() is called appropriately to clean up allocated resources, preventing leaks. This vulnerability is specific to the goldfish TTY driver and affects Linux kernel versions containing the faulty code, as indicated by the commit hashes provided. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-49399 is primarily related to system stability and availability rather than direct compromise of confidentiality or integrity. Organizations running Linux-based systems that utilize the goldfish TTY driver—such as Android development environments, emulators, or virtualized platforms that emulate Android devices—may experience resource exhaustion leading to degraded performance or kernel crashes if the vulnerability is triggered repeatedly. This could affect development teams, testing infrastructures, or cloud environments that rely on such emulation. While the risk of direct exploitation is low, prolonged resource leaks could cause denial of service conditions, impacting operational continuity. Given that many European enterprises and research institutions use Linux extensively, especially in software development and testing, unpatched systems could face intermittent instability. However, the scope is limited to environments using the goldfish TTY driver, which is not common in general-purpose Linux servers or desktops.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Identify systems running Linux kernels with the affected goldfish TTY driver, particularly those used for Android emulation or virtualization. 2) Apply the official Linux kernel patches that include the fix for CVE-2022-49399, ensuring that tty_port_destroy() is properly called in error and removal paths. 3) For environments where patching the kernel is not immediately feasible, limit the use of goldfish TTY devices or avoid repeated initialization/removal cycles that could trigger resource leaks. 4) Monitor system logs and kernel resource usage for signs of memory leaks or instability related to TTY device management. 5) Incorporate this vulnerability into vulnerability management and patching workflows, prioritizing development and testing infrastructure that may be affected. 6) Engage with Linux distribution vendors or maintainers to obtain updated kernel packages that address this issue promptly.