# CVE-2022-48744: net/mlx5e: Avoid field-overflowing memcpy()

> A buffer overflow in the Linux kernel mlx5e driver allows attackers to corrupt memory, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Jun 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-67887, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-48744, GHSA-932h-84vw-p6cw, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2022-48744, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2022-48744, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-48744

## What is CVE-2022-48744?

CVE-2022-48744 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 20 Jun 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

net/mlx5e: Avoid field-overflowing memcpy()

In preparation for FORTIFY_SOURCE performing compile-time and run-time
field bounds checking for memcpy(), memmove(), and memset(), avoid
intentionally writing across neighboring fields.

Use flexible arrays instead of zero-element arrays (which look like they
are always overflowing) and split the cross-field memcpy() into two halves
that can be appropriately bounds-checked by the compiler.

We were doing:

	#define ETH_HLEN  14
	#define VLAN_HLEN  4
	...
	#define MLX5E_XDP_MIN_INLINE (ETH_HLEN + VLAN_HLEN)
	...
        struct mlx5e_tx_wqe      *wqe  = mlx5_wq_cyc_get_wqe(wq, pi);
	...
        struct mlx5_wqe_eth_seg  *eseg = &wqe->eth;
        struct mlx5_wqe_data_seg *dseg = wqe->data;
	...
	memcpy(eseg->inline_hdr.start, xdptxd->data, MLX5E_XDP_MIN_INLINE);

target is wqe->eth.inline_hdr.start (which the compiler sees as being
2 bytes in size), but copying 18, intending to write across start
(really vlan_tci, 2 bytes). The remaining 16 bytes get written into
wqe->data[0], covering byte_count (4 bytes), lkey (4 bytes), and addr
(8 bytes).

struct mlx5e_tx_wqe {
        struct mlx5_wqe_ctrl_seg   ctrl;                 /*     0    16 */
        struct mlx5_wqe_eth_seg    eth;                  /*    16    16 */
        struct mlx5_wqe_data_seg   data[];               /*    32     0 */

        /* size: 32, cachelines: 1, members: 3 */
        /* last cacheline: 32 bytes */
};

struct mlx5_wqe_eth_seg {
        u8                         swp_outer_l4_offset;  /*     0     1 */
        u8                         swp_outer_l3_offset;  /*     1     1 */
        u8                         swp_inner_l4_offset;  /*     2     1 */
        u8                         swp_inner_l3_offset;  /*     3     1 */
        u8                         cs_flags;             /*     4     1 */
        u8                         swp_flags;            /*     5     1 */
        __be16                     mss;                  /*     6     2 */
        __be32                     flow_table_metadata;  /*     8     4 */
        union {
                struct {
                        __be16     sz;                   /*    12     2 */
                        u8         start[2];             /*    14     2 */
                } inline_hdr;                            /*    12     4 */
                struct {
                        __be16     type;                 /*    12     2 */
                        __be16     vlan_tci;             /*    14     2 */
                } insert;                                /*    12     4 */
                __be32             trailer;              /*    12     4 */
        };                                               /*    12     4 */

        /* size: 16, cachelines: 1, members: 9 */
        /* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};

struct mlx5_wqe_data_seg {
        __be32                     byte_count;           /*     0     4 */
        __be32                     lkey;                 /*     4     4 */
        __be64                     addr;                 /*     8     8 */

        /* size: 16, cachelines: 1, members: 3 */
        /* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};

So, split the memcpy() so the compiler can reason about the buffer
sizes.

"pahole" shows no size nor member offset changes to struct mlx5e_tx_wqe
nor struct mlx5e_umr_wqe. "objdump -d" shows no meaningful object
code changes (i.e. only source line number induced differences and
optimizations).

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-48744?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-48744?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-48744 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48744 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-2022-48744 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-48744 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 20 Jun 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48744 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-2022-48744/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48744/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-48744
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-48744
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-48744

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48744/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
