CVE-2022-3113

What it actually does

Missing check of devm_kzalloc return value in mtk_vcodec_fw_vpu_init leads to null pointer dereference and kernel crash on memory allocation failure during media codec firmware initialization.

Why it matters to the business

Local denial-of-service crashes in media processing components reduce system availability; widespread use of affected media packages amplifies operational disruption risk.

How an attack unfolds

A local attacker triggers the vulnerable initialization function under low-memory conditions so the unchecked allocation fails, resulting in immediate dereference and system panic.

How to fix it

Upgrade gst-plugins-good1.0 to 1.18.4-2+deb11u1 on Debian 11, to 1.20.3-1 on Debian 12/13, or apply commit ccf22e315cedf81e0075ab179ffb1b733da5206e in GStreamer GIT; rebuild and restart any dependent media pipelines after update.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm installed package versions match the listed fixed releases, then exercise media codec paths under memory pressure to verify absence of null dereference crashes.

Typical attack path

1. Gain local user access on the target system
2. Invoke media codec initialization that reaches mtk_vcodec_fw_vpu_init
3. Force memory allocation failure for the firmware structure
4. Trigger null pointer dereference causing kernel oops or panic

How to detect it

Search kernel logs and dmesg for oops/panic entries mentioning mtk_vcodec_fw_vpu_init or null pointer dereference in the media platform driver; correlate with local process activity that initializes video codecs.

• mtk_vcodec_fw_vpu_init
• devm_kzalloc
• Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference

What your security team should do

• Apply the listed fixed package versions immediately given weaponized exploit maturity
• Harden local access controls and limit untrusted user execution of media workloads
• Add kernel panic monitoring for media driver oops signatures