Memory Leak in drm/nouveau/debugfs in Linux Kernel
Summary
GSD-2021-1001687: drm/nouveau/debugfs: fix file release memory leak. Affects Kernel versions >= 6e9fc177399f08446293fec7607913fdbc95e191, < 88c3610045ca6e699331b6bb5c095c5565f30721. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, responsible for managing system resources and providing an interface for applications to interact with the hardware. The drm/nouveau/debugfs module is a part of the kernel's Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) subsystem and is used for debugging and monitoring the Nouveau graphics driver. The debugfs file system provides a virtual file system interface for accessing debugging information and control settings. However, a memory leak vulnerability has been identified in the drm/nouveau/debugfs module, which could allow an attacker to exhaust system memory resources and potentially cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition.
Vulnerability Detail
The memory leak vulnerability in the drm/nouveau/debugfs module allows an attacker to allocate memory resources that are not properly released when a file is closed. This can lead to a gradual depletion of system memory, eventually causing performance degradation or a complete system crash. An attacker with local access to the system could exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly opening and closing debugfs files, consuming memory resources and impacting system stability. The vulnerability was introduced in Linux Kernel version 4.5 and has been fixed in version 5.14.12.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can disable the debugfs file system by removing the 'debugfs' module from the kernel configuration and rebuilding the kernel. However, this may impact the ability to debug and monitor the Nouveau graphics driver. Here is an example of how to disable the debugfs module:
- Open the kernel configuration file (usually located at '/usr/src/linux/.config') in a text editor.
- Search for the line that starts with 'CONFIG_DEBUG_FS=y' and change it to 'CONFIG_DEBUG_FS=n'.
- Save the file and rebuild the kernel using the appropriate commands for the distribution being used.
Conclusion
The memory leak vulnerability in the drm/nouveau/debugfs module of the Linux Kernel can be mitigated by updating to version 5.14.12 or later. Users can also temporarily disable the debugfs file system as a workaround, but this may impact the ability to debug and monitor the Nouveau graphics driver. For further support and assistance in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
The memory leak vulnerability in drm/nouveau/debugfs can lead to a gradual depletion of system memory, potentially causing performance degradation or a complete system crash.
An attacker with local access to the system can exploit this vulnerability.
No, remote exploitation of this vulnerability is not possible as it requires local access to the system.
Yes, this vulnerability has been fixed in Linux Kernel version 5.14.12.
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