CVE-2022-50095: linux kernel Use-After-Free — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: posix-cpu-timers: Cleanup CPU timers before freeing them during exec Commit 55e8c8eb2c7b ("posix-cpu-timers: Store a reference to a pid not a task") started looking up tasks by PID when deleting a CPU timer. When a non-leader thread calls execve, it will switch PIDs with the leader process. Then, as it calls exit_itimers, posix_cpu_timer_del cannot find the task because the timer still points out to the old PID. That means that armed timers won't be disarmed, that is, they won't be removed from the timerqueue_list. exit_itimers will still release their memory, and when that list is later processed, it leads to a use-after-free. Clean up the timers from the de-threaded task before freeing them. This prevents a reported use-after-free.

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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-416 Use After Free

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	5.7 — 5.10.137
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.61
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 5.18.18
linux	linux_kernel	5.19 — 5.19.2

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/541840859ace9c2ccebc32fa9e376c7bd3def490 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e255ed238fc67058df87b0388ad6d4b2ef3a2bd https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2fc1723eb65abb83e00d5f011de670296af0b28 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e362359ace6f87c201531872486ff295df306d13 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e8cb6e8fd9890780f1bfcf5592889e1b879e779c

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-50095? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: posix-cpu-timers: Cleanup CPU timers before freeing them during exec Commit 55e8c8eb2c7b ("posix-cpu-timers: Store a reference to a pid not a task") started looking up tasks by PID when deleting a CPU timer. When a non-leader thread calls execve, it will switch PIDs with the leader process. Then, as it calls exit_itimers, posix_cpu_timer_del cannot find the task because the timer still points out to the old PID. That means that armed timers won't be disarmed, that is, they won't be removed from the timerqueue_list. exit_itimers will still release their memory, and when that list is later processed, it leads to a use-after-free. Clean up the timers from the de-threaded task before freeing them. This prevents a reported use-after-free. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2022-50095? +

CVE-2022-50095 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-2022-50095? +

CVE-2022-50095 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-2022-50095? +

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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