# CVE-2022-49085: drbd: Fix five use after free bugs in get_initial_state

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DRBD module allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code.

- **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:** 26 Feb 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49085, GHSA-vcqr-h4qj-jv8g, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49085

## What is CVE-2022-49085?

CVE-2022-49085 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Feb 2025. 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:

drbd: Fix five use after free bugs in get_initial_state

In get_initial_state, it calls notify_initial_state_done(skb,..) if
cb->args[5]==1. If genlmsg_put() failed in notify_initial_state_done(),
the skb will be freed by nlmsg_free(skb).
Then get_initial_state will goto out and the freed skb will be used by
return value skb->len, which is a uaf bug.

What's worse, the same problem goes even further: skb can also be
freed in the notify_*_state_change -> notify_*_state calls below.
Thus 4 additional uaf bugs happened.

My patch lets the problem callee functions: notify_initial_state_done
and notify_*_state_change return an error code if errors happen.
So that the error codes could be propagated and the uaf bugs can be avoid.

v2 reports a compilation warning. This v3 fixed this warning and built
successfully in my local environment with no additional warnings.
v2: https://lore.kernel.org/patchwork/patch/1435218/

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49085?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49085?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49085 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49085 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-2022-49085 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49085 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Feb 2025. 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-2022-49085 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-2022-49085/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49085/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49085
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49085
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49085

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49085/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.