CVE-2022-49914: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix inode list leak during backref walking at resolve_indirect_refs() During backref walking, at resolve_indirect_refs(), if we get an error we jump to the 'out' label and call ulist_free() on the 'parents' ulist, which frees all the elements in the ulist - however that does not free any inode lists that may be attached to elements, through the 'aux' field of a ulist node, so we end up leaking lists if we have any attached to the unodes. Fix this by calling free_leaf_list() instead of ulist_free() when we exit from resolve_indirect_refs(). The static function free_leaf_list() is moved up for this to be possible and it's slightly simplified by removing unnecessary code.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2022-49914, 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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