CVE-2022-23038: Race Condition
Last updated 25 April 2025
Other sources
Linux PV device frontends vulnerable to attacks by backends T[his CNA information record relates to multiple CVEs; the text explains which aspects/vulnerabilities correspond to which CVE.] Several Linux PV device frontends are using the grant table interfaces for removing access rights of the backends in ways being subject to race conditions, resulting in potential data leaks, data corruption by malicious backends, and denial of service triggered by malicious backends: blkfront, netfront, scsifront and the gntalloc driver are testing whether a grant reference is still in use. If this is not the case, they assume that a following removal of the granted access will always succeed, which is not true in case the backend has mapped the granted page between those two operations. As a result the backend can keep access to the memory page of the guest no matter how the page will be used after the frontend I/O has finished. The xenbus driver has a similar problem, as it doesn't check the success of removing the granted access of a shared ring buffer. blkfront: CVE-2022-23036 netfront: CVE-2022-23037 scsifront: CVE-2022-23038 gntalloc: CVE-2022-23039 xenbus: CVE-2022-23040 blkfront, netfront, scsifront, usbfront, dmabuf, xenbus, 9p, kbdfront, and pvcalls are using a functionality to delay freeing a grant reference until it is no longer in use, but the freeing of the related data page is not synchronized with dropping the granted access. As a result the backend can keep access to the memory page even after it has been freed and then re-used for a different purpose. CVE-2022-23041 netfront will fail a BUGON() assertion if it fails to revoke access in the rx path. This will result in a Denial of Service (DoS) situation of the guest which can be triggered by the backend. CVE-2022-23042
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2022-23038?
CVE-2022-23038 is classified as a high-severity vulnerability that can lead to privilege escalation.
How do I fix CVE-2022-23038?
To fix CVE-2022-23038, users should upgrade to the affected Linux kernel packages, specifically the versions 5.10.223-1, 5.10.226-1, 6.1.123-1, 6.1.128-1, 6.12.12-1, or 6.12.13-1.
Which systems are affected by CVE-2022-23038?
CVE-2022-23038 affects Linux PV device frontends on systems running Xen and Debian Linux version 9.0.
Is CVE-2022-23038 a remote vulnerability?
No, CVE-2022-23038 is not a remote vulnerability; it requires local access to exploit.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2022-23038?
CVE-2022-23038 is a privilege escalation vulnerability that involves the misuse of grant table interfaces.