CVE-2022-49148 watch_queue: Free the page array when watch_queue is dismantled
A memory leak in the Linux kernel watch_queue component allows local attackers to exhaust system memory, potentially causing denial of service.
- 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
What is CVE-2022-49148?
CVE-2022-49148 is a medium-severity memory corruption 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:
watch_queue: Free the page array when watch_queue is dismantled
Commit 7ea1a0124b6d ("watch_queue: Free the alloc bitmap when the watch_queue is torn down") took care of the bitmap, but not the page array.
BUG: memory leak unreferenced object 0xffff88810d9bc140 (size 32): comm "syz-executor335", pid 3603, jiffies 4294946994 (age 12.840s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 40 a7 40 04 00 ea ff ff 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 @.@............. 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ backtrace: kmalloc_array include/linux/slab.h:621 [inline] kcalloc include/linux/slab.h:652 [inline] watch_queue_set_size+0x12f/0x2e0 kernel/watch_queue.c:251 pipe_ioctl+0x82/0x140 fs/pipe.c:632 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:874 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:860 [inline] __x64_sys_ioctl+0xfc/0x140 fs/ioctl.c:860 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
Weakness: CWE-401
Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49148?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2022-49148?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2022-49148 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49148 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49148, GHSA-p73w-x3r8-72c9, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49148.