Vulnerability in vsock/virtio package: Freeing Queued Packets When Closing Socket
Summary
GSD-2021-1000240: vsock/virtio: free queued packets when closing socket. Affects Kernel versions >= ac03046ece2b158ebd204dfc4896fd9f39f0e6c8, < 37c38674ef2f8d7e8629e5d433c37d6c1273d16b. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The vsock/virtio package is a component of the Linux Kernel ecosystem. It provides support for virtual sockets and virtio transport for communication between virtual machines and the host system. This package enables efficient communication and data transfer between these entities. However, a vulnerability has been identified in this package that allows queued packets to remain allocated in memory when a socket is closed, potentially leading to resource exhaustion and denial of service attacks.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the vsock/virtio package arises from the failure to free queued packets when a socket is closed. This issue was introduced in version v5.2 of the Linux Kernel and has been fixed in version v5.12.4. When a socket is closed, the queued packets associated with it are not properly deallocated, leading to memory leaks and potential resource exhaustion. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly opening and closing sockets, causing the system to run out of memory and resulting in a denial of service condition. It is important to note that the impact and attack plausibility of this vulnerability have not been proven.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As this vulnerability has been fixed in the Linux Kernel version v5.12.4, there is no specific workaround available. It is recommended to update to the latest version of the Linux Kernel to address this issue.
Conclusion
The vsock/virtio package in the Linux Kernel is vulnerable to a flaw that allows queued packets to remain allocated in memory when a socket is closed. This can lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service attacks. It is crucial to update to the fixed version of the Linux Kernel (v5.12.4 or later) to address this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for Kernel →
FAQ
The vsock/virtio package provides support for virtual sockets and virtio transport for communication between virtual machines and the host system in the Linux Kernel ecosystem.
The vulnerability could lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service attacks if exploited by repeatedly opening and closing sockets, causing memory leaks and potential system instability.
To fix this vulnerability, update the Linux Kernel to version v5.12.4 or later, which includes the necessary fix to properly free queued packets when closing a socket.
As the vulnerability has been fixed in the Linux Kernel version v5.12.4, updating to the latest version is the recommended approach. No specific workaround is available.
The impact and attack plausibility of this vulnerability have not been proven. However, it is still important to update to the fixed version of the Linux Kernel to mitigate potential risks.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for Kernel.
