Critical Linux Kernel Security Update: Live Patch 29 for SLE 15 SP4 (CVE-2022-49080, CVE-2024-57996)

 

SUSE releases urgent Linux Kernel Live Patch 29 for SLE 15 SP4, fixing critical vulnerabilities (CVE-2022-49080, CVE-2024-57996) with CVSS scores up to 8.5. Learn patch instructions, affected systems, and mitigation steps.

Why This Update Matters

The Linux Kernel is the backbone of enterprise infrastructure, and unpatched vulnerabilities can lead to severe exploits. This SUSE-issued live patch addresses two high-risk flaws:

• CVE-2022-49080: Memory policy leak (CVSS 7.8)

• CVE-2024-57996: Network scheduler flaw (CVSS 8.5)

Affected Products:

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4

• openSUSE Leap 15.4

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP4

• [Full list in "Patch Details" below]

Patch Instructions & Mitigation

1. Immediate Actions

• Enterprise Users: Deploy via zypper patch or YaST.

• openSUSE Leap 15.4:

  bash

  Copy

  Download

  zypper in -t patch SUSE-2025-1950=1

• Live Patching Module:

  bash

  Copy

  Download

  zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-Module-Live-Patching-15-SP4-2025-1950=1

2. Vulnerability Breakdown

CVE ID	Risk (CVSS 4.0)	Impact	Fix Included
CVE-2022-49080	7.3 (High)	Memory corruption	Yes
CVE-2024-57996	8.5 (Critical)	DoS/Privilege escalation	Yes

Technical Deep Dive

CVE-2022-49080: Memory Policy Vulnerability

• Root Cause: Leak in shared_policy_replace function (mm/mempolicy).

• Exploit Risk: Local attackers could escalate privileges.

• Reference: SUSE Bug #1238324

CVE-2024-57996: Network Scheduler Flaw

• Root Cause: sch_sfq packet limit bypass.

• Exploit Risk: Traffic manipulation leading to DoS.

• Reference: SUSE Bug #1239077

FAQs

Q: Is reboot required after patching?

A: No—this is a live patch for minimal downtime.

Q: How to verify patch installation?

A: Run rpm -qa | grep kernel-livepatch.

Q: Are cloud instances affected?

A: Yes, if using unpatched kernel images.