Memory Leak Vulnerability in tracing/histogram Package
Summary
GSD-2022-1000606: tracing/histogram: Fix a potential memory leak for kstrdup(). Affects Kernel versions >= d380dcde9a07ca5de4805dee11f58a98ec0ad6ff, < df86e2fe808c3536a9dba353cc2bebdfea00d0cf. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The tracing/histogram package is a component of the Linux Kernel, which is responsible for collecting and analyzing various system events. It provides functionality for creating histograms to visualize the distribution of event data. The package is widely used in Linux-based systems and plays a crucial role in performance monitoring and debugging. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in the package that can lead to a memory leak.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the tracing/histogram package arises from a potential memory leak when using the kstrdup() function. This function is used to duplicate a string in kernel space, but it fails to release the allocated memory in certain scenarios. As a result, repeated invocations of kstrdup() without freeing the memory can lead to a gradual depletion of system resources. If exploited, this vulnerability could cause system instability, performance degradation, and potentially even denial-of-service conditions.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
As a workaround, developers can manually release the allocated memory by calling the kfree() function after each invocation of kstrdup(). Here is an example code snippet:
char *duplicate_string(const char *str) {
char *dup_str = kstrdup(str, GFP_KERNEL);
if (dup_str) {
// Use the duplicated string
...
// Free the allocated memory
kfree(dup_str);
}
return dup_str;
}
Conclusion
In conclusion, the tracing/histogram package in the Linux Kernel is vulnerable to a memory leak issue when using the kstrdup() function. This vulnerability can have significant impacts on system stability and performance. It is crucial to update the kernel to version v5.16.5 or later to fix the issue. Additionally, developers can apply a temporary workaround by manually freeing the allocated memory. For further assistance and support in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
If exploited, this vulnerability can lead to a gradual depletion of system resources, causing system instability, performance degradation, and potentially even denial-of-service conditions.
You can use the Vulert Playground (https://vulert.com/scanner) to check if your system is affected by this vulnerability. Simply upload your package-lock.json file, and Vulert will analyze it in real-time.
Yes, the vulnerability has been fixed in Linux Kernel version v5.16.5. It is recommended to update your kernel to this version or a later one to mitigate the issue.
Yes, a temporary workaround is to manually release the allocated memory by calling the kfree() function after each invocation of kstrdup(). However, it is still recommended to update the kernel to the fixed version.
This vulnerability was discovered by an automated security analysis tool and reported to the Linux Kernel security team.
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