CVE-2022-48787·Kernel vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iwlwifi: fix use-after-free If no firmware was present at all (or, presumably, all of the firmware files failed to parse), we end up unbinding by calling device_release_driver(), which calls remove(), which then in iwlwifi calls iwl_drv_stop(), freeing the 'drv' struct. However the new code I added will still erroneously access it after it was freed. Set 'failure=false' in this case to avoid the access, all data was already freed anyway.
- Severity
- high
- Software
- Kernel
- Fixed in
- 5.16.11
- Published
- 2024-07-16
Affected versions
From: 5.16.3
Until: 5.16.11
Fixed in: 5.16.11
How to fix this CVE
Update your Linux kernel to version 5.16.11 or later to resolve a use-after-free vulnerability in the iwlwifi driver that occurs during firmware loading failures. This flaw can lead to memory corruption and potential privilege escalation on affected systems. Apply the kernel update and reboot your system to ensure the patch is active.
sudo dnf update kernel && sudo rebootDefensia detects this vulnerability
How to check if you are affected
- Run 'uname -r' to display your current kernel version and compare against the vulnerable range (5.16.3 to 5.16.10)
- Check if iwlwifi driver is loaded by running 'lsmod | grep iwlwifi' — if output is present, the vulnerable component is active
- Search system logs for firmware loading failures with 'dmesg | grep -i iwlwifi' or 'journalctl -u systemd-modules-load -b' to identify exploitation attempts
- Verify the patch was applied by confirming 'uname -r' returns version 5.16.11 or higher after reboot
FAQ
What is CVE-2022-48787?
CVE-2022-48787 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's iwlwifi wireless driver that occurs when firmware files are missing or fail to parse. The driver incorrectly accesses freed memory after cleanup, potentially causing system instability or privilege escalation.
Is CVE-2022-48787 being actively exploited?
No, there are no reports of active exploitation or publicly available exploits for CVE-2022-48787 according to CISA KEV data.
What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2022-48787?
Linux kernel versions 5.16.3 through 5.16.10 are vulnerable. Version 5.16.11 and later contain the fix.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2022-48787?
Run 'uname -r' to check your kernel version. If it reports 5.16.3 through 5.16.10 and 'lsmod | grep iwlwifi' shows the driver is loaded, your system is vulnerable.
Does Defensia detect CVE-2022-48787?
Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2022-48787 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related Kernel CVEs
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/008508c16af0087cda0394e1ac6f0493b01b6063
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/494de920d98f125b099f27a2d274850750aff957
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d6475179b85a83186ccce59cdc359d4f07d0bcb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9958b9cbb22145295ee1ffaea0904c383da2c05d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bea2662e7818e15d7607d17d57912ac984275d94
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