Memory Leak in driver core: auxiliary bus
Summary
GSD-2021-1001174: driver core: auxiliary bus: Fix memory leak when driver_register() fail. Affects Kernel versions >= 7de3697e9cbd4bd3d62bafa249d57990e1b8f294, < ce5b3de58fc21303722df46551f7eb9a91afb409. 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 driver core is a fundamental component of the Linux kernel that manages device drivers. It provides an infrastructure for registering, loading, and managing drivers for various devices. The auxiliary bus is a subsystem within the driver core that handles drivers for auxiliary devices. These devices are typically non-essential and provide additional functionality. The vulnerability in the auxiliary bus can lead to a memory leak when the driver_register() function fails.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability occurs when the driver_register() function fails during the registration of a driver for an auxiliary device. In such cases, the memory allocated for the driver structure is not properly freed, resulting in a memory leak. This can lead to a gradual depletion of system memory, potentially causing performance degradation or even system instability. An attacker may be able to exploit this vulnerability to exhaust system resources and launch denial-of-service attacks.
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 known workaround for this vulnerability. It is necessary to update the Linux Kernel to the fixed version.
Conclusion
The memory leak vulnerability in the driver core's auxiliary bus can lead to system performance degradation and potential denial-of-service attacks. It is crucial to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.13.6 or later to address this issue. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for Kernel →
FAQ
The driver core is a fundamental component of the Linux kernel that manages device drivers. It provides an infrastructure for registering, loading, and managing drivers for various devices.
The auxiliary bus is a subsystem within the driver core that handles drivers for auxiliary devices. These devices are typically non-essential and provide additional functionality.
A memory leak occurs when allocated memory is not properly freed, leading to a gradual depletion of system memory.
The memory leak caused by this vulnerability can result in performance degradation or system instability due to the gradual depletion of system memory. It may also be exploited by attackers to launch denial-of-service attacks.
To fix this vulnerability, update the Linux Kernel to version v5.13.6 or later, which includes the necessary fix for the memory leak in the auxiliary bus.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for Kernel.
