CVE-2022-50498: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eth: alx: take rtnl_lock on resume Zbynek reports that alx trips an rtnl assertion on resume: RTNL: assertion failed at net/core/dev.c (2891) RIP: 0010:netif_set_real_num_tx_queues+0x1ac/0x1c0 Call Trace: <TASK> __alx_open+0x230/0x570 [alx] alx_resume+0x54/0x80 [alx] ? pci_legacy_resume+0x80/0x80 dpm_run_callback+0x4a/0x150 device_resume+0x8b/0x190 async_resume+0x19/0x30 async_run_entry_fn+0x30/0x130 process_one_work+0x1e5/0x3b0 indeed the driver does not hold rtnl_lock during its internal close and re-open functions during suspend/resume. Note that this is not a huge bug as the driver implements its own locking, and does not implement changing the number of queues, but we need to silence the splat.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2022-50498, 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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