CVE-2022-42011 in D-Bus
Summary
by MITRE • 10/10/2022
An issue was discovered in D-Bus before 1.12.24, 1.13.x and 1.14.x before 1.14.4, and 1.15.x before 1.15.2. An authenticated attacker can cause dbus-daemon and other programs that use libdbus to crash when receiving a message where an array length is inconsistent with the size of the element type.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-42011 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting the D-Bus message bus system, which serves as a fundamental communication layer in many Linux and Unix-based operating systems. This issue impacts multiple versions of the D-Bus daemon and library, specifically those prior to 1.12.24, 1.13.x before 1.14.4, and 1.15.x before 1.15.2, making it a widespread concern across various system deployments. The flaw stems from inadequate validation of array length parameters within D-Bus message processing, creating a condition where maliciously crafted messages can trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying system components.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of array size validation within the D-Bus protocol implementation. When the dbus-daemon or applications utilizing libdbus receive a message containing an array where the declared length does not correspond to the actual element size, the system fails to properly validate these parameters before processing. This inconsistency creates a scenario where memory access patterns become unpredictable, leading to segmentation faults or other critical errors that cause the affected processes to terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-129 as an Improper Validation of Array Index, which directly relates to the inadequate bounds checking of array parameters in the message processing pipeline. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with memory corruption vulnerabilities that can be exploited through message injection attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-42011 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can affect system stability and availability across multiple critical subsystems that depend on D-Bus communication. Since D-Bus serves as the primary inter-process communication mechanism for many desktop environments, system services, and application frameworks, a successful exploitation can potentially compromise the entire system's communication infrastructure. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to trigger, meaning that an attacker with legitimate user credentials can cause cascading failures throughout the system. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting process injection and service disruption through legitimate system interfaces. Systems running desktop environments like GNOME, KDE, or other desktop managers that heavily rely on D-Bus for component communication would be particularly vulnerable to this type of denial of service attack.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-42011 should focus on immediate patching of all affected D-Bus versions, with particular attention to systems where authenticated access is possible. System administrators should implement monitoring for unusual dbus-daemon crashes or restart patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability can be addressed through the standard security update process, with patches specifically designed to improve array size validation logic within the D-Bus message parsing components. Organizations should also consider implementing access controls that limit D-Bus communication to trusted processes and users, as well as deploying intrusion detection systems that can monitor for anomalous message patterns that might indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, regular security assessments should verify that all system components have been updated to patched versions and that proper access controls are in place to minimize the attack surface for authenticated exploitation.