# CVE-2022-48910: net: ipv6: ensure we call ipv6_mc_down() at most once

> A logic error in Linux kernel IPv6 multicast handling allows local attackers to leak memory and cause denial of service by toggling interface states.

- **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:** 22 Aug 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-48910, GHSA-23g6-fhm7-588p, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-48910

## What is CVE-2022-48910?

CVE-2022-48910 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Aug 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:

net: ipv6: ensure we call ipv6_mc_down() at most once

There are two reasons for addrconf_notify() to be called with NETDEV_DOWN:
either the network device is actually going down, or IPv6 was disabled
on the interface.

If either of them stays down while the other is toggled, we repeatedly
call the code for NETDEV_DOWN, including ipv6_mc_down(), while never
calling the corresponding ipv6_mc_up() in between. This will cause a
new entry in idev->mc_tomb to be allocated for each multicast group
the interface is subscribed to, which in turn leaks one struct ifmcaddr6
per nontrivial multicast group the interface is subscribed to.

The following reproducer will leak at least $n objects:

ip addr add ff2e::4242/32 dev eth0 autojoin
sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.eth0.disable_ipv6=1
for i in $(seq 1 $n); do
	ip link set up eth0; ip link set down eth0
done

Joining groups with IPV6_ADD_MEMBERSHIP (unprivileged) or setting the
sysctl net.ipv6.conf.eth0.forwarding to 1 (=> subscribing to ff02::2)
can also be used to create a nontrivial idev->mc_list, which will the
leak objects with the right up-down-sequence.

Based on both sources for NETDEV_DOWN events the interface IPv6 state
should be considered:

 - not ready if the network interface is not ready OR IPv6 is disabled
   for it
 - ready if the network interface is ready AND IPv6 is enabled for it

The functions ipv6_mc_up() and ipv6_down() should only be run when this
state changes.

Implement this by remembering when the IPv6 state is ready, and only
run ipv6_mc_down() if it actually changed from ready to not ready.

The other direction (not ready -> ready) already works correctly, as:

 - the interface notification triggered codepath for NETDEV_UP /
   NETDEV_CHANGE returns early if ipv6 is disabled, and
 - the disable_ipv6=0 triggered codepath skips fully initializing the
   interface as long as addrconf_link_ready(dev) returns false
 - calling ipv6_mc_up() repeatedly does not leak anything

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-48910?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-48910?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-48910 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48910 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-2022-48910 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-48910 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Aug 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-2022-48910 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-2022-48910/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48910/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-48910
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-48910
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-48910

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48910/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.