#VU64920 NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2022-2153

Vulnerability identifier: #VU64920

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 4.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2022-2153

CWE-ID: CWE-476

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Linux kernel
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Linux Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

The vulnerability exists due to a NULL pointer dereference error in the Linux kernel’s KVM when attempting to set a SynIC IRQ. A local user on the host can issue specific ioctl calls, causing a denial of service.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: before 5.18, 5.18

---

External links
https://www.hkcert.org/security-bulletin/linux-kernel-multiple-vulnerabilities_20220704
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2069736

---

Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.