CVE-2022-1789: Null Pointer Dereference

Published May 25, 2022
·
Updated

A flaw was found in KVM. With shadow paging enabled if INVPCID is executed with CR0.PG=0, the invlpg callback is not set, and the result is a NULL pointer dereference. This flaw allows a guest user to cause a kernel oops condition on the host, resulting in a denial of service.

Other sources

With shadow paging enabled, the INVPCID instruction results in a call to kvmmmuinvpcidgva. If INVPCID is executed with CR0.PG=0, the invlpg callback is not set and the result is a NULL pointer dereference.

Affected Software

12 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/kernel-rt<0:4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8
0:4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8
redhat/kernel<0:4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8
0:4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8
redhat/kernel<0:5.14.0-284.11.1.el9_2
0:5.14.0-284.11.1.el9_2
redhat/kernel-rt<0:5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2
0:5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2
redhat/kernel<5.18
5.18
Linux Linux kernel<5.8
Fedoraproject Fedora=34
Fedoraproject Fedora=35
Fedoraproject Fedora=36
redhat Enterprise Linux=9.0
Debian Debian Linux=11.0
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel-rt to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:5.14.0-284.11.1.el9_2
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel-rt to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.234-1Fixed in 6.1.129-1Fixed in 6.1.135-1Fixed in 6.12.25-1Fixed in 6.12.27-1
  6. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.18

Event History

May 25, 2022
CVE Published
12:00 AM
May 26, 2022
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·12:41 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
May 31, 2022
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:48 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:48 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Jan 12, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:05 AM
Description
May 2, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:37 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2022-1789?

CVE-2022-1789 is classified as a denial of service vulnerability due to a NULL pointer dereference that can cause a kernel oops condition.

2

How do I fix CVE-2022-1789?

To fix CVE-2022-1789, update the kernel to version 0:4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 or higher for Red Hat environments.

3

Which systems are affected by CVE-2022-1789?

CVE-2022-1789 affects various versions of the Linux kernel, including specific builds for Red Hat and Fedora.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2022-1789?

CVE-2022-1789 is a flaw found in KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) that can be exploited to cause denial of service.

5

Can guest users exploit CVE-2022-1789?

Yes, guest users can exploit CVE-2022-1789 to trigger a kernel oops condition on the host system.

Company

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Contact

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