high CVSS 7.8

CVE-2022-48821·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: misc: fastrpc: avoid double fput() on failed usercopy If the copy back to userland fails for the FASTRPC_IOCTL_ALLOC_DMA_BUFF ioctl(), we shouldn't assume that 'buf->dmabuf' is still valid. In fact, dma_buf_fd() called fd_install() before, i.e. "consumed" one reference, leaving us with none. Calling dma_buf_put() will therefore put a reference we no longer own, leading to a valid file descritor table entry for an already released 'file' object which is a straight use-after-free. Simply avoid calling dma_buf_put() and rely on the process exit code to do the necessary cleanup, if needed, i.e. if the file descriptor is still valid.

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
5.16.10
Published
2024-07-16

Affected versions

From: 5.16

Until: 5.16.10

Fixed in: 5.16.10

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 5.16.10 or later to patch a use-after-free vulnerability in the FASTRPC driver. This flaw occurs when a DMA buffer allocation ioctl fails during userspace copy operations, causing a double file descriptor release that could lead to privilege escalation. Kernel versions 5.16 through 5.16.9 are affected and should be upgraded immediately.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check installed kernel version with `uname -r` and verify it is 5.16.10 or later
  2. Step 2: Confirm FASTRPC module is loaded by running `lsmod | grep fastrpc` (if output exists, the vulnerable component is present)
  3. Step 3: Search system logs for FASTRPC-related errors with `grep -i fastrpc /var/log/kern.log /var/log/syslog` to identify failed DMA buffer allocations
  4. Step 4: After patching, reboot the system and confirm the new kernel version runs with `uname -r`, then verify no FASTRPC allocation failures appear in post-reboot logs

FAQ

What is CVE-2022-48821?

CVE-2022-48821 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's FASTRPC (Fast RPC) driver. When a DMA buffer allocation ioctl fails during data transfer back to userspace, the kernel incorrectly releases a file descriptor reference that was already consumed, leaving a dangling pointer that could be exploited for privilege escalation.

Is CVE-2022-48821 being actively exploited?

No, there are no confirmed active exploits or public proof-of-concept code for CVE-2022-48821, and it is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. However, the vulnerability's nature as a use-after-free flaw in a kernel subsystem makes it a potential target for future research.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2022-48821?

Linux kernel versions 5.16 through 5.16.9 are vulnerable. Version 5.16.10 and all later releases contain the fix.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2022-48821?

Run `uname -r` to display your kernel version. If it reports 5.16.0 through 5.16.9, your system is vulnerable. For kernel versions outside the 5.16.x series (e.g., 5.15.x or 5.17.x), this CVE does not apply.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2022-48821?

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-2022-48821 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2024-42256CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cifs: Fix server re-repick on subrequest retry When a subrequest is marked for needing retry, netfs will call cifs_prepare_write() which will make cifs repick the server for the op before renegotiating credits; it then calls cifs_issue_write() which invokes smb2_async_writev() - which re-repicks the server. If a different server is then selected, this causes the increment of server->in_flight to happen against one record and the decrement to happen against another, leading to misaccounting. Fix this by just removing the repick code in smb2_async_writev(). As this is only called from netfslib-driven code, cifs_prepare_write() should always have been called first, and so server should never be NULL and the preparatory step is repeated in the event that we do a retry. The problem manifests as a warning looking something like: WARNING: CPU: 4 PID: 72896 at fs/smb/client/smb2ops.c:97 smb2_add_credits+0x3f0/0x9e0 [cifs] ... RIP: 0010:smb2_add_credits+0x3f0/0x9e0 [cifs] ... smb2_writev_callback+0x334/0x560 [cifs] cifs_demultiplex_thread+0x77a/0x11b0 [cifs] kthread+0x187/0x1d0 ret_from_fork+0x34/0x60 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Which may be triggered by a number of different xfstests running against an Azure server in multichannel mode. generic/249 seems the most repeatable, but generic/215, generic/249 and generic/308 may also show it.
CVE-2024-36031CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: keys: Fix overwrite of key expiration on instantiation The expiry time of a key is unconditionally overwritten during instantiation, defaulting to turn it permanent. This causes a problem for DNS resolution as the expiration set by user-space is overwritten to TIME64_MAX, disabling further DNS updates. Fix this by restoring the condition that key_set_expiry is only called when the pre-parser sets a specific expiry.
CVE-2024-38612CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: sr: fix invalid unregister error path The error path of seg6_init() is wrong in case CONFIG_IPV6_SEG6_LWTUNNEL is not defined. In that case if seg6_hmac_init() fails, the genl_unregister_family() isn't called. This issue exist since commit 46738b1317e1 ("ipv6: sr: add option to control lwtunnel support"), and commit 5559cea2d5aa ("ipv6: sr: fix possible use-after-free and null-ptr-deref") replaced unregister_pernet_subsys() with genl_unregister_family() in this error path.
CVE-2024-38623CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/ntfs3: Use variable length array instead of fixed size Should fix smatch warning: ntfs_set_label() error: __builtin_memcpy() 'uni->name' too small (20 vs 256)
CVE-2021-47548CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ethernet: hisilicon: hns: hns_dsaf_misc: fix a possible array overflow in hns_dsaf_ge_srst_by_port() The if statement: if (port >= DSAF_GE_NUM) return; limits the value of port less than DSAF_GE_NUM (i.e., 8). However, if the value of port is 6 or 7, an array overflow could occur: port_rst_off = dsaf_dev->mac_cb[port]->port_rst_off; because the length of dsaf_dev->mac_cb is DSAF_MAX_PORT_NUM (i.e., 6). To fix this possible array overflow, we first check port and if it is greater than or equal to DSAF_MAX_PORT_NUM, the function returns.

References

Track CVEs across your fleet automatically

Defensia scans your Linux servers and tells you exactly which ones are running vulnerable versions — including CVE-2022-48821. Free for 1 server.

Get started free