CVE-2022-49990: linux kernel Double Free — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390: fix double free of GS and RI CBs on fork() failure The pointers for guarded storage and runtime instrumentation control blocks are stored in the thread_struct of the associated task. These pointers are initially copied on fork() via arch_dup_task_struct() and then cleared via copy_thread() before fork() returns. If fork() happens to fail after the initial task dup and before copy_thread(), the newly allocated task and associated thread_struct memory are freed via free_task() -> arch_release_task_struct(). This results in a double free of the guarded storage and runtime info structs because the fields in the failed task still refer to memory associated with the source task. This problem can manifest as a BUG_ON() in set_freepointer() (with CONFIG_SLAB_FREELIST_HARDENED enabled) or KASAN splat (if enabled) when running trinity syscall fuzz tests on s390x. To avoid this problem, clear the associated pointer fields in arch_dup_task_struct() immediately after the new task is copied. Note that the RI flag is still cleared in copy_thread() because it resides in thread stack memory and that is where stack info is copied.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-415 CWE-415

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	4.4.105 — 4.5
linux	linux_kernel	4.9.68 — 4.10
linux	linux_kernel	4.14.5 — 4.19.257
linux	linux_kernel	4.20 — 5.4.212
linux	linux_kernel	5.5 — 5.10.140
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.64
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 5.19.6
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13cccafe0edcd03bf1c841de8ab8a1c8e34f77d9 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/25a95303b9e513cd2978aacc385d06e6fec23d07 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/297ae7e87a87a001dd3dfeac1cb26a42fd929708 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8195e065abf3df84eb0ad2987e76a40f21d1791c https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cacd522e6652fbc2dc0cc6ae11c4e30782fef14b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fbdc482d43eda40a70de4b0155843d5472f6de62

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-49990? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390: fix double free of GS and RI CBs on fork() failure The pointers for guarded storage and runtime instrumentation control blocks are stored in the thread_struct of the associated task. These pointers are initially copied on fork() via arch_dup_task_struct() and then cleared via copy_thread() before fork() returns. If fork() happens to fail after the initial task dup and before copy_thread(), the newly allocated task and associated thread_struct memory are freed via free_task() -> arch_release_task_struct(). This results in a double free of the guarded storage and runtime info structs because the fields in the failed task still refer to memory associated with the source task. This problem can manifest as a BUG_ON() in set_freepointer() (with CONFIG_SLAB_FREELIST_HARDENED enabled) or KASAN splat (if enabled) when running trinity syscall fuzz tests on s390x. To avoid this problem, clear the associated pointer fields in arch_dup_task_struct() immediately after the new task is copied. Note that the RI flag is still cleared in copy_thread() because it resides in thread stack memory and that is where stack info is copied. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2022-49990? +

CVE-2022-49990 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2022-49990? +

CVE-2022-49990 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-2022-49990? +

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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