Memory Leak in caif_device_notify in Kernel
Summary
GSD-2021-1000773: net: caif: fix memory leak in caif_device_notify. Affects Kernel versions >= 7c18d2205ea76eef9674e59e1ecae4f332a53e9e, < af2806345a37313f01b1c9f15e046745b8ee2daa. 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 Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system that manages system resources and provides an interface for applications to interact with the hardware. The caif_device_notify function in the Kernel's networking subsystem (net) is responsible for handling notifications related to the CAIF (Common Air Interface) protocol. CAIF is a protocol used for communication between wireless devices. This vulnerability in caif_device_notify can lead to a memory leak, which occurs when allocated memory is not properly freed, resulting in a gradual depletion of available memory resources.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in caif_device_notify is due to a memory leak that occurs when handling notifications related to the CAIF protocol. When a notification is received, memory is allocated to process it, but under certain conditions, this memory is not properly freed after use. As a result, over time, the system's available memory resources can be exhausted, potentially leading to performance degradation or even system instability. This vulnerability was introduced in version v3.3 of the Linux Kernel and is fixed in version v5.10.43.
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
There is no specific workaround provided for this vulnerability. The recommended solution is to update the Linux Kernel to the fixed version.
Conclusion
The memory leak vulnerability in caif_device_notify in the Kernel's networking subsystem can lead to a gradual depletion of available memory resources, potentially causing performance issues or system instability. It is crucial to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.10.43 or later to fix this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for Kernel →
FAQ
This vulnerability can lead to a gradual depletion of available memory resources in the system, potentially causing performance degradation or system instability.
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 one.
At the time of this report, there is no known exploit for this vulnerability. However, it is important to apply the fix as soon as possible to prevent any potential memory exhaustion issues.
This vulnerability does not have a direct remote exploitation vector. However, if an attacker can gain access to the system and trigger the CAIF protocol notifications, they could potentially exploit this vulnerability to exhaust the system's memory resources.
The recommended solution is to update the Linux Kernel to the fixed version. However, if updating the Kernel is not feasible in your environment, you can consider implementing additional memory management measures to mitigate the impact of the memory leak.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for Kernel.
