CVE-2022-49350: linux kernel — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: mdio: unexport __init-annotated mdio_bus_init() EXPORT_SYMBOL and __init is a bad combination because the .init.text section is freed up after the initialization. Hence, modules cannot use symbols annotated __init. The access to a freed symbol may end up with kernel panic. modpost used to detect it, but it has been broken for a decade. Recently, I fixed modpost so it started to warn it again, then this showed up in linux-next builds. There are two ways to fix it: - Remove __init - Remove EXPORT_SYMBOL I chose the latter for this case because the only in-tree call-site, drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c is never compiled as modular. (CONFIG_PHYLIB is boolean)

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-908 CWE-908

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	4.12 — 4.14.283
linux	linux_kernel	4.15 — 4.19.247
linux	linux_kernel	4.20 — 5.4.198
linux	linux_kernel	5.5 — 5.10.122
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.47
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 5.17.15
linux	linux_kernel	5.18 — 5.18.4
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35b42dce619701f1300fb8498dae82c9bb1f0263 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5534bcd7c40299862237c4a8fd9c5031b3db1538 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59fa94cddf9eef8d8dae587373eed8b8f4eb11d7 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a90a44d53428a3bf01bd80df9ba78b19959270c https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7759c3222815b945a94b212bc0c6cdec475cfec2 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab64ec2c75683f30ccde9eaaf0761002f901aa12 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f2f0f8c18b60ca64ff50892ed899cf1c77864755 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5c68137f1191ba3fcf6260ec71b30be2e2bf4c3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-49350? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: mdio: unexport __init-annotated mdio_bus_init() EXPORT_SYMBOL and __init is a bad combination because the .init.text section is freed up after the initialization. Hence, modules cannot use symbols annotated __init. The access to a freed symbol may end up with kernel panic. modpost used to detect it, but it has been broken for a decade. Recently, I fixed modpost so it started to warn it again, then this showed up in linux-next builds. There are two ways to fix it: - Remove __init - Remove EXPORT_SYMBOL I chose the latter for this case because the only in-tree call-site, drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c is never compiled as modular. (CONFIG_PHYLIB is boolean) It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2022-49350? +

CVE-2022-49350 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2022-49350? +

CVE-2022-49350 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2022-49350? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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CVE-2022-49350