CVE-2022-38457
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

Overview

A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability was discovered in the Linux kernel's vmwgfx driver, specifically in the 'vmw_cmd_res_check' function within drivers/gpu/vmxgfx/vmxgfx_execbuf.c. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-38457, was reported on September 6, 2022, and affects systems using the VMware graphics driver through the device file '/dev/dri/renderD128' or similar DRI devices (OpenAnolis Bug).

Technical details

The vulnerability stems from a reference counting issue in the vmw_cmd_res_check function where the returned resource object does not increment the reference count. This can lead to race condition problems and ultimately result in a use-after-free condition. The issue specifically occurs when handling the device file '/dev/dri/renderD128' or similar DRI devices in the VMware graphics driver (OpenAnolis Bug).

Impact

When exploited, this vulnerability allows a local attacker with a user account on the system to gain elevated privileges and potentially cause a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where the affected device files are readable and writable by unprivileged users (CVE Mitre).

Mitigation and workarounds

Several Linux distributions have released fixes for this vulnerability. Debian has addressed the issue in version 6.1.7-1 and later releases. The vulnerability was fixed in Debian bookworm with version 6.1.128-1 and in sid/trixie with version 6.12.17-1 (Debian Tracker).

Additional resources


SourceThis report was generated using AI

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