Memory Leak in dmi-sysfs Firmware
Summary
GSD-2022-1003283: firmware: dmi-sysfs: Fix memory leak in dmi_sysfs_register_handle. Affects Kernel versions >= 948af1f0bbc8526448e8cbe3f8d3bf211bdf5181, < fdffa4ad8f6bf1ece877edfb807f2b2c729d8578. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The dmi-sysfs firmware is a component of the Linux Kernel, which is responsible for handling the Desktop Management Interface (DMI) data exposed through the sysfs interface. DMI provides information about the hardware components of a system, such as the manufacturer, model, and serial number. The dmi-sysfs firmware allows users to access and manipulate this information programmatically. However, a memory leak vulnerability has been discovered in the dmi_sysfs_register_handle function.
Vulnerability Detail
The memory leak vulnerability in dmi-sysfs arises from a flaw in the dmi_sysfs_register_handle function. When registering a new DMI handle, the function fails to release allocated memory in certain error scenarios. This can lead to a continuous accumulation of memory over time, eventually exhausting system resources. An attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by repeatedly triggering the error scenario that triggers the memory leak. The vulnerability was introduced in Linux Kernel version v2.6.39 and has been fixed in version v5.15.47.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.15.47 or later. This update includes the commit fdffa4ad8f6bf1ece877edfb807f2b2c729d8578, which addresses the memory leak issue in the dmi-sysfs firmware.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can unload and reload the dmi-sysfs module to release the accumulated memory. This can be done using the following commands:
rmmod dmi-sysfs
modprobe dmi-sysfs
However, it is strongly advised to apply the official fix by updating the Linux Kernel.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the dmi-sysfs firmware in the Linux Kernel is vulnerable to a memory leak issue. This vulnerability can be exploited to cause a denial-of-service condition by exhausting system resources. It is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.15.47 or later to fix this vulnerability. In the meantime, a temporary workaround is available by unloading and reloading the dmi-sysfs module. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
The dmi-sysfs firmware is a component of the Linux Kernel that provides access to the Desktop Management Interface (DMI) data through the sysfs interface. It allows users to retrieve and manipulate information about the hardware components of a system.
The memory leak vulnerability in dmi-sysfs can lead to a gradual accumulation of memory over time, potentially causing a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by exhausting system resources.
You can use the Vulert Playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your system is affected by this vulnerability. Simply upload your package-lock.json file, and Vulert will analyze it for any open-source vulnerabilities, including this memory leak issue in the dmi-sysfs firmware.
Yes, as a temporary workaround, you can unload and reload the dmi-sysfs module to release the accumulated memory. However, it is strongly recommended to apply the official fix by updating the Linux Kernel.
You can find more information about the fix for this vulnerability in the Linux Kernel source code repository. The fix was implemented in commit fdffa4ad8f6bf1ece877edfb807f2b2c729d8578.
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