# CVE-2022-48989: fscache: Fix oops due to race with cookie_lru and use_cookie

> A race condition in the Linux kernel fscache subsystem allows a local attacker to trigger a NULL pointer dereference, causing a system crash.

- **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:** 21 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-48989, GHSA-29wh-8w97-366v, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-48989

## What is CVE-2022-48989?

CVE-2022-48989 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 Oct 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:

fscache: Fix oops due to race with cookie_lru and use_cookie

If a cookie expires from the LRU and the LRU_DISCARD flag is set, but
the state machine has not run yet, it's possible another thread can call
fscache_use_cookie and begin to use it.

When the cookie_worker finally runs, it will see the LRU_DISCARD flag
set, transition the cookie->state to LRU_DISCARDING, which will then
withdraw the cookie.  Once the cookie is withdrawn the object is removed
the below oops will occur because the object associated with the cookie
is now NULL.

Fix the oops by clearing the LRU_DISCARD bit if another thread uses the
cookie before the cookie_worker runs.

  BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008
  ...
  CPU: 31 PID: 44773 Comm: kworker/u130:1 Tainted: G     E    6.0.0-5.dneg.x86_64 #1
  Hardware name: Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 08/26/2022
  Workqueue: events_unbound netfs_rreq_write_to_cache_work [netfs]
  RIP: 0010:cachefiles_prepare_write+0x28/0x90 [cachefiles]
  ...
  Call Trace:
    netfs_rreq_write_to_cache_work+0x11c/0x320 [netfs]
    process_one_work+0x217/0x3e0
    worker_thread+0x4a/0x3b0
    kthread+0xd6/0x100

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-48989?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-48989?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-48989 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48989 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-2022-48989 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-48989 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 Oct 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-2022-48989 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-2022-48989/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48989/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-48989
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-48989
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-48989

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48989/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.