CVE-2022-28197 in Jetson Linux Driver Package
Summary
by MITRE • 04/27/2022
NVIDIA Jetson Linux Driver Package contains a vulnerability in the Cboot ext4_mount function, where Insufficient validation of untrusted data may allow a highly privileged local attacker to cause an integer overflow. This difficult- to-exploit vulnerability may lead to code execution, escalation of privileges, limited denial of service, and some impact to confidentiality and integrity.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-28197 resides within the NVIDIA Jetson Linux Driver Package, specifically within the Cboot ext4_mount function. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that affects embedded systems utilizing NVIDIA Jetson platforms, which are widely deployed in edge computing, robotics, and AI applications. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize untrusted data inputs during the ext4 filesystem mounting process. Such systems typically operate in environments where physical access is possible, making local privilege escalation vectors particularly dangerous.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through an integer overflow condition within the ext4_mount function implementation. When processing filesystem mount requests, the code fails to validate the size parameters of untrusted data structures, allowing an attacker to craft malicious input that triggers arithmetic overflow conditions. This integer overflow can corrupt memory layout and potentially lead to arbitrary code execution within kernel space. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-191 as an Integer Underflow or Overflow, which represents a fundamental flaw in how integer arithmetic operations are handled within the kernel codebase. The complexity of exploitation is rated as difficult due to the requirement for local privileged access and the need to carefully craft inputs that will trigger the specific overflow condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, creating multiple attack vectors that can compromise system integrity and availability. A highly privileged local attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can achieve code execution with kernel-level privileges, enabling full system compromise. The potential consequences include complete system takeover, persistent backdoor establishment, and data exfiltration capabilities that could affect confidentiality and integrity. Additionally, the vulnerability can result in limited denial of service conditions where the integer overflow corrupts critical system data structures, potentially causing system crashes or preventing legitimate filesystem operations from completing successfully. These impacts are particularly concerning for embedded systems where system uptime and data integrity are critical for operational continuity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-28197 should focus on immediate patching of the affected NVIDIA Jetson Linux Driver Package, with particular attention to the Cboot component and its ext4 filesystem handling functions. Organizations should implement strict access controls and privilege separation to minimize the attack surface, as the vulnerability requires local privileged access for exploitation. System administrators should monitor for unauthorized local access attempts and implement security monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous filesystem operations. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which involves exploiting local privilege escalation opportunities, and T1547 which addresses persistence mechanisms that could be established through code execution. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while regular security assessments of embedded systems should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components.