CVE-2022-0742

Memory leak in ICMP6 in Linux Kernel

Critical · published March 18, 2022

CVSS v3.1
9.1
EPSS
5%
Percentile
92.3
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

🔥 A crafty attacker can crash your Linux host with nothing more than a few cleverly crafted ICMP6 packets! Think of it like a restaurant that runs out of ingredients simply because a customer keeps ordering the special without checking if the kitchen is stocked. Each Type 130 or 131 packet is like an endless stream of orders, quickly overwhelming resources and leaving the establishment out of business. This memory leak in the ICMP6 implementation can lead to a devastating Denial of Service (DoS) attack, where your host could crash from running out of memory. An attacker could exploit this flaw to render your services unavailable, completely disrupting operations and causing havoc.

Put simply

Think of it like a restaurant that runs out of ingredients simply because a customer keeps ordering the special without checking if the kitchen is stocked. Each Type 130 or 131 packet is like an endless stream of orders, quickly overwhelming resources and leaving the establishment out of business. In Linux Kernel versions 5.13 and above, a memory leak occurs when processing ICMP6 packets of types 130 or 131, allowing remote attackers to cause a denial of service by exhausting system memory.

What to do

This memory leak in the ICMP6 implementation can lead to a devastating Denial of Service (DoS) attack, where your host could crash from running out of memory. An attacker could exploit this flaw to render your services unavailable, completely disrupting operations and causing havoc. To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade your Linux Kernel to a version beyond commit 2d3916f3189172d5c69d33065c3c21119fe539fc. Regularly check for updates and monitor your systems for any unusual activity that may indicate an ongoing attack. You've got this! By taking these steps, you can safeguard your system and keep those pesky attackers at bay! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
9.1 · CRITICAL
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.05038 · 92.3th percentile
Published
2022-03-18T11:20Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 18 MAR 11:20Z
    Memory leak in ICMP6 in Linux Kernel
    cvelistv5