# CVE-2022-48861: vdpa: fix use-after-free on vp_vdpa_remove

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's vdpa driver allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges during device unbinding.

- **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:** 16 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-48861, GHSA-9c8v-c8p9-2pjh, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-48861

## What is CVE-2022-48861?

CVE-2022-48861 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Jul 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:

vdpa: fix use-after-free on vp_vdpa_remove

When vp_vdpa driver is unbind, vp_vdpa is freed in vdpa_unregister_device
and then vp_vdpa->mdev.pci_dev is dereferenced in vp_modern_remove,
triggering use-after-free.

Call Trace of unbinding driver free vp_vdpa :
do_syscall_64
  vfs_write
    kernfs_fop_write_iter
      device_release_driver_internal
        pci_device_remove
          vp_vdpa_remove
            vdpa_unregister_device
              kobject_release
                device_release
                  kfree

Call Trace of dereference vp_vdpa->mdev.pci_dev:
vp_modern_remove
  pci_release_selected_regions
    pci_release_region
      pci_resource_len
        pci_resource_end
          (dev)->resource[(bar)].end

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-48861?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-48861?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-48861 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48861 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-2022-48861 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-48861 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Jul 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-2022-48861 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-2022-48861/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48861/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-48861
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-48861
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-48861

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48861/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.