CVE-2022-22942: Use After Free

Published Jan 25, 2022
·
Updated

A failing usercopy of the fencerep object will lead to a stale entry in the file descriptor table as putunusedfd() won't release it. This enables userland to refer to a dangling 'file' object through that still valid file descriptor, leading to all kinds of use-after-free exploitation scenarios.

Other sources

A use-after-free flaw was found in the Linux kernel’s vmwexecbufcopyfenceuser function in drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfxexecbuf.c in vmwgfx. This flaw allows a local attacker with user privileges to cause a privilege escalation problem.

The vmwgfx driver contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability that allows unprivileged users to gain access to files opened by other processes on the system through a dangling 'file' pointer.

Launchpad

Affected Software

16 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/kernel-rt<0:3.10.0-1160.59.1.rt56.1200.el7
0:3.10.0-1160.59.1.rt56.1200.el7
redhat/kernel<0:3.10.0-1160.59.1.el7
0:3.10.0-1160.59.1.el7
redhat/kernel<0:3.10.0-957.92.1.el7
0:3.10.0-957.92.1.el7
redhat/kernel<0:3.10.0-1062.66.1.el7
0:3.10.0-1062.66.1.el7
redhat/kernel-rt<0:4.18.0-348.20.1.rt7.150.el8_5
0:4.18.0-348.20.1.rt7.150.el8_5
redhat/kernel<0:4.18.0-348.20.1.el8_5
0:4.18.0-348.20.1.el8_5
redhat/kernel<0:4.18.0-147.64.1.el8_1
0:4.18.0-147.64.1.el8_1
redhat/kernel-rt<0:4.18.0-193.79.1.rt13.129.el8_2
0:4.18.0-193.79.1.rt13.129.el8_2
redhat/kernel<0:4.18.0-193.79.1.el8_2
0:4.18.0-193.79.1.el8_2
redhat/kernel-rt<0:4.18.0-305.40.1.rt7.112.el8_4
0:4.18.0-305.40.1.rt7.112.el8_4
redhat/kernel<0:4.18.0-305.40.1.el8_4
0:4.18.0-305.40.1.el8_4
redhat/redhat-virtualization-host<0:4.3.22-20220330.1.el7_9
0:4.3.22-20220330.1.el7_9
redhat/Kernel<5.16
5.16
VMware Photon OS=3.0
VMware Photon OS=4.0
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-1

Remediation

Information

Mitigation for this issue is to skip loading the affected module vmwgfx onto the system until we have a fix available. This can be done by a blacklist mechanism and ensures the driver is not loaded at the boot time. ~~~ How do I blacklist a kernel module to prevent it from loading automatically? https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 ~~~

Event History

Jan 25, 2022
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·09:07 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jan 27, 2022
CVE Published
08:00 PM
Dec 13, 2023
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:16 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:16 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Jan 12, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:07 AM
Description
Apr 28, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:37 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2022-22942?

CVE-2022-22942 is considered a critical security vulnerability due to the potential for use-after-free exploitation.

2

How do I fix CVE-2022-22942?

You can fix CVE-2022-22942 by updating your kernel to the patched versions provided by Red Hat as listed in the affected software section.

3

Which software versions are affected by CVE-2022-22942?

CVE-2022-22942 affects various versions of Red Hat's kernel and kernel-rt including kernels prior to 3.10.0-1160.59.1.el7 and 4.18.0-348.20.1.el8_5.

4

What are the risks of not addressing CVE-2022-22942?

Not addressing CVE-2022-22942 may lead to exploitation through dangling file objects, resulting in unauthorized access and potential system compromise.

5

Is CVE-2022-22942 specific to any operating system?

Yes, CVE-2022-22942 specifically affects Red Hat-based Linux distributions and VMware Photon OS.

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