# CVE-2022-22942: Use after free in Photon OS

> Unprivileged local users can exploit a dangling pointer in the vmwgfx driver to access files opened by other processes, leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 13 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-22942, GHSA-r3gf-pg53-xqph, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-22942

## What is CVE-2022-22942?

CVE-2022-22942 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Photon OS, published on 13 Dec 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The vmwgfx driver contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability that allows unprivileged users to gain access to files opened by other processes on the system through a dangling 'file' pointer.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-22942?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vmware Photon Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-22942?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-22942 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-22942 exists.

Public exploit code:

- vmwgfx Driver File Descriptor Handling Priv Esc (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in Photon OS

- [CVE-2016-5333](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5333/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-22055](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22055/): Other in Photon OS (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-22942 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-22942 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Photon OS, published on 13 Dec 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-22942 exists.

Affected product: Photon OS. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22942/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22942/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-22942
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-22942
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-22942

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22942/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.