Linux Kernel Quark DTS Thermal Driver Error Pointer Dereference Vulnerability

A vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's Quark SoC X1000 DTS thermal driver. The issue arises in the 'intel_quark_dts_thermal' module, where the function 'alloc_soc_dts()' can fail, leading to an incorrect handling of the error. The failure to properly manage the error pointer can cause a system crash (an 'Oops' error) when the code attempts to free the 'soc_dts' pointer. This vulnerability affects several versions of the Linux kernel.

Impact

The vulnerability can lead to a system crash, causing an 'Oops' error, which is a type of kernel panic that indicates a serious problem in the kernel's operation.

Reproduction

The vulnerability can be reproduced by loading the Intel Quark DTS thermal driver on a system where the 'alloc_soc_dts()' function fails. This failure can occur if the system does not meet the requirements for the driver, such as not having a compatible CPU or missing necessary resources. When the driver attempts to free the 'soc_dts' pointer after a failed allocation, it will cause an error pointer dereference, leading to a crash.

Remediation

Users can apply the latest patches available in the Linux kernel stable tree to address this vulnerability. The patch can be downloaded from the Linux kernel Git repository.