Refcount Leak in realview_gic_of_init in Kernel

Kernel Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

31/07/2022

Disclosed on

N/A

Severity

No i

Fix available

Unrated

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

GSD-2022-1004303: irqchip/gic/realview: Fix refcount leak in realview_gic_of_init. Affects Kernel versions >= 82b0a434b436f5da69ddd24bd6a6fa5dc4484310, < 16b603cb8d34c2d917983918db1f88c8b831baaa. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

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Background

The Kernel is a fundamental component of the Linux operating system that manages system resources and facilitates communication between hardware and software. It provides essential functionalities such as process management, memory management, and device drivers. The realview_gic_of_init function in the irqchip/gic/realview module is responsible for initializing the Generic Interrupt Controller (GIC) on ARM-based RealView platforms. The GIC handles interrupts and plays a crucial role in the system's interrupt handling mechanism.

Vulnerability Detail

The realview_gic_of_init function in the irqchip/gic/realview module suffers from a refcount leak vulnerability. This vulnerability was introduced in version v4.6 of the Linux Kernel and was fixed in version v5.18.6. The vulnerability occurs when the function fails to properly release a reference count, leading to a resource leak. An attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability to exhaust system resources, resulting in a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. The impact and attack plausibility of this vulnerability have not been proven yet.

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 v5.18.6 or later. This update includes the commit 16b603cb8d34c2d917983918db1f88c8b831baaa, which addresses the refcount leak issue in the realview_gic_of_init function. Updating the Kernel ensures that the vulnerability is patched and the system is protected.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the realview_gic_of_init function in the irqchip/gic/realview module of the Linux Kernel suffers from a refcount leak vulnerability. This vulnerability can potentially lead to a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. It is recommended to update the Kernel to version v5.18.6 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, you can reach out to DevNack.com.

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