CVE-2022-49875 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's bpftool utility, which is used for managing Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF) programs, maps, and links. The vulnerability arises when bpftool attempts to pin BPF objects (PROG, MAP, LINK) without specifying a FILE parameter. Specifically, the issue is a NULL pointer dereference caused by the absence of a FILE argument, which leads to a call to strlen() on a NULL pointer. This triggers a segmentation fault, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The stack trace indicates the fault occurs during the pinning process: do_pin -> do_pin_any -> do_pin_fd -> mount_bpffs_for_pin -> strlen(name). The root cause is the lack of validation for the FILE parameter before its use. The vulnerability has been addressed by adding validation checks to prevent NULL pointer dereferences in the common processing path. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The affected versions are specific Linux kernel builds identified by commit hashes, indicating this is a recent and targeted fix. This vulnerability primarily impacts systems that use bpftool to manage BPF objects, which are common in modern Linux environments for networking, security, and performance monitoring tasks.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-49875 is primarily related to system stability and availability. Since the vulnerability causes a segmentation fault in bpftool, it can lead to denial of service conditions on affected Linux systems. This could disrupt network monitoring, security enforcement, or performance analysis tools that rely on BPF programs. Organizations using Linux servers for critical infrastructure, cloud services, or network appliances may experience service interruptions if bpftool is invoked with improper parameters, either accidentally or maliciously. Although this vulnerability does not directly lead to privilege escalation or data compromise, the resulting DoS could be leveraged as part of a broader attack to degrade service availability. European sectors with high reliance on Linux-based infrastructure, such as telecommunications, finance, and government services, could be affected. However, the lack of known exploits and the requirement to invoke bpftool with specific parameters reduce the immediate risk of widespread exploitation.

To mitigate CVE-2022-49875, European organizations should: 1) Apply the latest Linux kernel patches that include the fix for this vulnerability as soon as they become available from their Linux distribution vendors. 2) Audit and restrict the use of bpftool to trusted administrators only, minimizing the risk of accidental or malicious invocation with incorrect parameters. 3) Implement input validation and error handling in any scripts or automation tools that use bpftool to ensure FILE parameters are always correctly specified. 4) Monitor system logs for segmentation faults or crashes related to bpftool usage to detect potential exploitation attempts or misconfigurations. 5) Consider deploying runtime protection tools that can detect and prevent abnormal process crashes or memory errors. 6) Educate system administrators about this vulnerability and the importance of cautious use of low-level kernel tools like bpftool. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling access to the vulnerable utility, ensuring proper usage, and maintaining up-to-date kernel versions.