# CVE-2022-48707: cxl/region: Fix null pointer dereference for resetting decoder

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel CXL region driver allows local attackers to cause a system crash by destroying a specific CXL memory region configuration.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 21 May 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-48707, GHSA-5xfg-8mp6-pr5f, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-48707

## What is CVE-2022-48707?

CVE-2022-48707 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

cxl/region: Fix null pointer dereference for resetting decoder

Not all decoders have a reset callback.

The CXL specification allows a host bridge with a single root port to
have no explicit HDM decoders. Currently the region driver assumes there
are none.  As such the CXL core creates a special pass through decoder
instance without a commit/reset callback.

Prior to this patch, the ->reset() callback was called unconditionally when
calling cxl_region_decode_reset. Thus a configuration with 1 Host Bridge,
1 Root Port, and one directly attached CXL type 3 device or multiple CXL
type 3 devices attached to downstream ports of a switch can cause a null
pointer dereference.

Before the fix, a kernel crash was observed when we destroy the region, and
a pass through decoder is reset.

The issue can be reproduced as below,
    1) create a region with a CXL setup which includes a HB with a
    single root port under which a memdev is attached directly.
    2) destroy the region with cxl destroy-region regionX -f.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-48707?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-48707?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-48707 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48707 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-48707 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-48707 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48707 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2022-48707/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48707/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-48707
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-48707
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-48707

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48707/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.