CVE-2022-49904: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net, neigh: Fix null-ptr-deref in neigh_table_clear() When IPv6 module gets initialized but hits an error in the middle, kenel panic with: KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000598-0x000000000000059f] CPU: 1 PID: 361 Comm: insmod Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) RIP: 0010:__neigh_ifdown.isra.0+0x24b/0x370 RSP: 0018:ffff888012677908 EFLAGS: 00000202 ... Call Trace: <TASK> neigh_table_clear+0x94/0x2d0 ndisc_cleanup+0x27/0x40 [ipv6] inet6_init+0x21c/0x2cb [ipv6] do_one_initcall+0xd3/0x4d0 do_init_module+0x1ae/0x670 ... Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception When ipv6 initialization fails, it will try to cleanup and calls: neigh_table_clear() neigh_ifdown(tbl, NULL) pneigh_queue_purge(&tbl->proxy_queue, dev_net(dev == NULL)) # dev_net(NULL) triggers null-ptr-deref. Fix it by passing NULL to pneigh_queue_purge() in neigh_ifdown() if dev is NULL, to make kernel not panic immediately.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2022-49904, a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
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