CVE-2022-49546

x86/kexec: fix memory leak of elf header buffer

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: February 26, 2025 at 02:13 AM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 05:18 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.3%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/kexec: fix memory leak of elf header buffer This is reported by kmemleak detector: unreferenced object 0xffffc900002a9000 (size 4096): comm "kexec", pid 14950, jiffies 4295110793 (age 373.951s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 7f 45 4c 46 02 01 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .ELF............ 04 00 3e 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ..>............. backtrace: [<0000000016a8ef9f>] __vmalloc_node_range+0x101/0x170 [<000000002b66b6c0>] __vmalloc_node+0xb4/0x160 [<00000000ad40107d>] crash_prepare_elf64_headers+0x8e/0xcd0 [<0000000019afff23>] crash_load_segments+0x260/0x470 [<0000000019ebe95c>] bzImage64_load+0x814/0xad0 [<0000000093e16b05>] arch_kexec_kernel_image_load+0x1be/0x2a0 [<000000009ef2fc88>] kimage_file_alloc_init+0x2ec/0x5a0 [<0000000038f5a97a>] __do_sys_kexec_file_load+0x28d/0x530 [<0000000087c19992>] do_syscall_64+0x3b/0x90 [<0000000066e063a4>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae In crash_prepare_elf64_headers(), a buffer is allocated via vmalloc() to store elf headers. While it's not freed back to system correctly when kdump kernel is reloaded or unloaded. Then memory leak is caused. Fix it by introducing x86 specific function arch_kimage_file_post_load_cleanup(), and freeing the buffer there. And also remove the incorrect elf header buffer freeing code. Before calling arch specific kexec_file loading function, the image instance has been initialized. So 'image->elf_headers' must be NULL. It doesn't make sense to free the elf header buffer in the place. Three different people have reported three bugs about the memory leak on x86_64 inside Redhat.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v < 5.15.463.17 ≤ v < 5.10.2363.17 ≤ v < 5.15.463.17 ≤ v < 5.17.143.17 ≤ v < 5.18.33.17 ≤ v < 5.195.16 ≤ v < 5.17.145.18 ≤ v < 5.18.33.17dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a
Vendor states this is fixed in 115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcb (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3.17 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.236 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.46 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.17.14 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.18.3 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.19 (unaffected)

References (6)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcb
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-401

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