Linux Kernel up to 5.18.14 mpol_rebind_policy initialization

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.18.14. It has been rated as critical. The impacted element is the function mpol_rebind_policy. This manipulation causes initialization. This vulnerability is registered as CVE-2022-49567. No exploit is available. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.18.14 and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function mpol_rebind_policy. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a initialization vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-665. The product does not initialize or incorrectly initializes a resource, which might leave the resource in an unexpected state when it is accessed or used. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/mempolicy: fix uninit-value in mpol_rebind_policy() mpol_set_nodemask()(mm/mempolicy.c) does not set up nodemask when pol->mode is MPOL_LOCAL. Check pol->mode before access pol->w.cpuset_mems_allowed in mpol_rebind_policy()(mm/mempolicy.c). BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in mpol_rebind_policy mm/mempolicy.c:352 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in mpol_rebind_task+0x2ac/0x2c0 mm/mempolicy.c:368 mpol_rebind_policy mm/mempolicy.c:352 [inline] mpol_rebind_task+0x2ac/0x2c0 mm/mempolicy.c:368 cpuset_change_task_nodemask kernel/cgroup/cpuset.c:1711 [inline] cpuset_attach+0x787/0x15e0 kernel/cgroup/cpuset.c:2278 cgroup_migrate_execute+0x1023/0x1d20 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:2515 cgroup_migrate kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:2771 [inline] cgroup_attach_task+0x540/0x8b0 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:2804 __cgroup1_procs_write+0x5cc/0x7a0 kernel/cgroup/cgroup-v1.c:520 cgroup1_tasks_write+0x94/0xb0 kernel/cgroup/cgroup-v1.c:539 cgroup_file_write+0x4c2/0x9e0 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:3852 kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x66a/0x9f0 fs/kernfs/file.c:296 call_write_iter include/linux/fs.h:2162 [inline] new_sync_write fs/read_write.c:503 [inline] vfs_write+0x1318/0x2030 fs/read_write.c:590 ksys_write+0x28b/0x510 fs/read_write.c:643 __do_sys_write fs/read_write.c:655 [inline] __se_sys_write fs/read_write.c:652 [inline] __x64_sys_write+0xdb/0x120 fs/read_write.c:652 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x54/0xd0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:82 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae Uninit was created at: slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slab.h:524 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3251 [inline] slab_alloc mm/slub.c:3259 [inline] kmem_cache_alloc+0x902/0x11c0 mm/slub.c:3264 mpol_new mm/mempolicy.c:293 [inline] do_set_mempolicy+0x421/0xb70 mm/mempolicy.c:853 kernel_set_mempolicy mm/mempolicy.c:1504 [inline] __do_sys_set_mempolicy mm/mempolicy.c:1510 [inline] __se_sys_set_mempolicy+0x44c/0xb60 mm/mempolicy.c:1507 __x64_sys_set_mempolicy+0xd8/0x110 mm/mempolicy.c:1507 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x54/0xd0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:82 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae KMSAN: uninit-value in mpol_rebind_task (2) https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?id=d6eb90f952c2a5de9ea718a1b873c55cb13b59dc This patch seems to fix below bug too. KMSAN: uninit-value in mpol_rebind_mm (2) https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?id=f2fecd0d7013f54ec4162f60743a2b28df40926b The uninit-value is pol->w.cpuset_mems_allowed in mpol_rebind_policy(). When syzkaller reproducer runs to the beginning of mpol_new(), mpol_new() mm/mempolicy.c do_mbind() mm/mempolicy.c kernel_mbind() mm/mempolicy.c `mode` is 1(MPOL_PREFERRED), nodes_empty(*nodes) is `true` and `flags` is 0. Then mode = MPOL_LOCAL; ... policy->mode = mode; policy->flags = flags; will be executed. So in mpol_set_nodemask(), mpol_set_nodemask() mm/mempolicy.c do_mbind() kernel_mbind() pol->mode is 4 (MPOL_LOCAL), that `nodemask` in `pol` is not initialized, which will be accessed in mpol_rebind_policy().

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2022-49567 since 02/26/2025. The exploitation appears to be easy. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 12/23/2025).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 233382 (Amazon Linux 2 : kernel (ALAS-2025-2790)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 4.9.325, 4.14.290, 4.19.254, 5.4.208, 5.10.134, 5.15.58 or 5.18.15 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 5735845906fb1d90fe597f8b503fc0a857d475e3/aaa1c5d635a6fca2043513ffb5be169f9cd17d9e/13d51565cec1aa432a6ab363edc2bbc53c6f49cb/a1f8765f68bc9bf5744b365bb9f5e0b6db93edfe/ddb3f0b68863bd1c5f43177eea476bce316d4993/8c5429a04ccd8dbcc3c753dab2f4126774ec28d4/777e563f10e91e91130fe06bee85220d508e7b9b/018160ad314d75b1409129b2247b614a9f35894c is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at Tenable (233382). Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 4.9.324
• 4.14.289
• 4.19.253
• 5.4.207
• 5.10.133
• 5.15.0
• 5.15.1
• 5.15.2
• 5.15.3
• 5.15.4
• 5.15.5
• 5.15.6
• 5.15.7
• 5.15.8
• 5.15.9
• 5.15.10
• 5.15.11
• 5.15.12
• 5.15.13
• 5.15.14
• 5.15.15
• 5.15.16
• 5.15.17
• 5.15.18
• 5.15.19
• 5.15.20
• 5.15.21
• 5.15.22
• 5.15.23
• 5.15.24
• 5.15.25
• 5.15.26
• 5.15.27
• 5.15.28
• 5.15.29
• 5.15.30
• 5.15.31
• 5.15.32
• 5.15.33
• 5.15.34
• 5.15.35
• 5.15.36
• 5.15.37
• 5.15.38
• 5.15.39
• 5.15.40
• 5.15.41
• 5.15.42
• 5.15.43
• 5.15.44
• 5.15.45
• 5.15.46
• 5.15.47
• 5.15.48
• 5.15.49
• 5.15.50
• 5.15.51
• 5.15.52
• 5.15.53
• 5.15.54
• 5.15.55
• 5.15.56
• 5.15.57
• 5.18.0
• 5.18.1
• 5.18.2
• 5.18.3
• 5.18.4
• 5.18.5
• 5.18.6
• 5.18.7
• 5.18.8
• 5.18.9
• 5.18.10
• 5.18.11
• 5.18.12
• 5.18.13
• 5.18.14

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Entryinfo

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