CVE-2022-3544 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2022
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in Linux Kernel. Affected is the function damon_sysfs_add_target of the file mm/damon/sysfs.c of the component Netfilter. The manipulation leads to memory leak. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-211044.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3544 represents a memory leak flaw within the Linux kernel's DAMON (Dynamic Address Monitoring) subsystem, specifically within the damon_sysfs_add_target function located in mm/damon/sysfs.c. This issue falls under the broader category of memory management vulnerabilities that can severely impact system stability and resource utilization over time. The DAMON subsystem is designed to monitor and analyze memory access patterns, making it an integral component for memory management and optimization features within the Linux kernel ecosystem. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes memory allocation requests through the Netfilter component, which is responsible for packet filtering and manipulation within the kernel's networking stack. This particular flaw demonstrates a critical weakness in how the kernel handles memory allocation and deallocation processes, creating potential avenues for resource exhaustion attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the damon_sysfs_add_target function, which is part of the DAMON subsystem's sysfs interface. When the function processes target memory regions for monitoring, it fails to properly release allocated memory structures, leading to gradual memory accumulation that can eventually cause system instability or denial of service conditions. The memory leak occurs during the addition of new monitoring targets through the sysfs interface, where allocated kernel memory is not consistently freed when the operation completes or fails. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper deallocation of memory, and represents a classic example of memory resource management failure that can be exploited by malicious actors to consume system resources progressively. The flaw is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level, where memory leaks can have cascading effects on system performance and availability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory consumption issues, as it can potentially lead to system instability, reduced performance, and in severe cases, complete system crashes or denial of service conditions. When memory leaks accumulate over time, they can cause the kernel to exhaust available memory resources, forcing the system to rely on swap space or potentially triggering the kernel's out-of-memory killer mechanism. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in server environments where continuous memory monitoring and allocation operations may occur, as the gradual memory consumption can go unnoticed until system performance degrades significantly. The Netfilter component's integration with DAMON creates a complex attack surface where malicious actors could potentially exploit this memory leak to perform resource exhaustion attacks, especially when combined with other kernel vulnerabilities or when the system is under heavy load conditions. The vulnerability's classification as problematic indicates that it represents a significant security risk that requires immediate attention and patching to prevent potential exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-3544 should focus on applying the official kernel patches provided by the Linux kernel development team, which address the memory deallocation issues within the damon_sysfs_add_target function. System administrators should prioritize patching affected kernel versions, particularly those running DAMON monitoring features or systems that utilize Netfilter components extensively. The recommended approach includes monitoring system memory usage patterns to detect potential memory leak symptoms and implementing automated alerting mechanisms when memory consumption exceeds normal thresholds. Organizations should also consider implementing kernel lockdown mechanisms and restricting access to the DAMON sysfs interface to reduce the attack surface. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability relates to T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1499.004 (Resource Hijacking: Cloud Compute) as attackers could potentially leverage memory leaks to consume system resources and potentially gain unauthorized access to compute resources. Regular kernel updates and security audits should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other kernel subsystems, with particular attention to memory management functions that handle dynamic allocation and deallocation processes.