Memory Leak in ldisc_open in Kernel
Summary
GSD-2021-1001118: net: caif: fix memory leak in ldisc_open. Affects Kernel versions < 343406f9c198c5f8e38720bd168c04ef666fe5d9. 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
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
Background
The Kernel is a critical 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 ldisc_open function in the Kernel's network subsystem (net: caif) is responsible for opening a line discipline (ldisc) for a communication interface. A line discipline is a software module that processes data received from or sent to a communication interface. However, a memory leak vulnerability has been identified in ldisc_open, which could lead to the exhaustion of system memory resources over time.
Vulnerability Detail
The memory leak vulnerability in ldisc_open can be exploited by an attacker to consume excessive amounts of memory, potentially causing system instability or denial of service. When a line discipline is opened, memory is allocated for its data structures. However, if the opening process fails or encounters an error, the allocated memory is not properly freed, resulting in a memory leak. Over time, repeated opening and closing of line disciplines without proper memory deallocation can deplete available system memory. This vulnerability has the potential to impact system performance and stability.
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 v5.4.129 or later. The fix for this issue was implemented in commit 343406f9c198c5f8e38720bd168c04ef666fe5d9 of the Linux Kernel source code. Updating to the latest stable version of the Kernel ensures that the memory leak in ldisc_open is addressed.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
If updating the Kernel is not immediately feasible, a temporary workaround can be implemented by avoiding the repeated opening and closing of line disciplines in the affected network subsystem. This can help mitigate the memory leak issue until a proper update can be applied. However, it is important to note that the workaround may impact the functionality or performance of certain network-related operations.
Conclusion
The memory leak vulnerability in ldisc_open in the Kernel's network subsystem can result in the depletion of system memory resources over time. To mitigate this issue, it is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.4.129 or later. If immediate updating is not possible, implementing a temporary workaround of avoiding repeated opening and closing of line disciplines can help mitigate the vulnerability. For further assistance or support in addressing this vulnerability, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for Kernel →
FAQ
The vulnerability can lead to the exhaustion of system memory resources, potentially causing system instability or denial of service.
Updating the Linux Kernel to version v5.4.129 or later resolves this vulnerability.
A temporary workaround is to avoid repeated opening and closing of line disciplines in the affected network subsystem.
The vulnerability requires local access to the system to exploit it.
There is no evidence of active exploits at the time of this report.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for Kernel.
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
Follow Vulert in Google
Get more Vulert vulnerability and dependency-security updates in Google Search and AI results.