Linux Kernel General Protection Fault Vulnerability in EDAC Component

A general protection fault vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's Error Detection and Correction (EDAC) component for Skylake processors. This issue occurs after the 'i10nm_edac' module is loaded and then unloaded, followed by reloading it for error injection testing. The fault arises because the 'adxl_component_count' variable, which tracks the number of ADXL components, is not properly reset during the unload process. This oversight leads to an out-of-bounds reference, causing the general protection fault.

Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability leads to a general protection fault, causing a hardware error and disrupting normal operations.

Reproduction

To reproduce this vulnerability, load the 'i10nm_edac' module, which will automatically load the 'skx_edac_common' module. After unloading 'i10nm_edac', reload it and perform error injection testing. This sequence will trigger the general protection fault due to the improper handling of the 'adxl_component_count' variable in the 'skx_edac_common' module.

Remediation

The vulnerability has been addressed by resetting the 'adxl_component_count' variable in the 'adxl_put()' function, which is called when unloading the 'skx_edac_common' module.