Linux Kernel Memory Leak Vulnerability in Xen SMP Interrupt Initialization

A memory leak vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's handling of Xen symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) interrupts. This issue arises in the 'xen_smp_intr_init' function, where local variables intended to store interrupt names are not properly managed. When the function 'bind_ipi_to_irqhandler' fails, the allocated names are not saved, leading to a memory leak. The problem has been addressed by ensuring that these names are correctly freed. This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel stable tree.

Impact

The vulnerability causes a memory leak, which can lead to increased memory usage and potential exhaustion of system resources.

Reproduction

The vulnerability can be reproduced by initializing Xen SMP interrupts using the 'xen_smp_intr_init' function. When the 'bind_ipi_to_irqhandler' function fails, the allocated interrupt names are not saved, causing a memory leak. This issue can be observed in the Linux kernel stable tree, specifically in the 'arch/x86/xen/smp.c' and 'arch/x86/xen/smp_pv.c' files.

Remediation

Users can upgrade to the latest version of the Linux kernel stable tree, where this vulnerability has been fixed. Instructions for downloading the patched version are available on the Linux kernel official website.