# CVE-2022-49300: nbd: fix race between nbd_alloc_config() and module removal

> A race condition in the Linux kernel NBD module can cause a NULL pointer dereference and system crash during module removal.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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:** 26 Feb 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49300, GHSA-fjrf-m4f9-hh77, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49300

## What is CVE-2022-49300?

CVE-2022-49300 is a medium-severity 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:

nbd: fix race between nbd_alloc_config() and module removal

When nbd module is being removing, nbd_alloc_config() may be
called concurrently by nbd_genl_connect(), although try_module_get()
will return false, but nbd_alloc_config() doesn't handle it.

The race may lead to the leak of nbd_config and its related
resources (e.g, recv_workq) and oops in nbd_read_stat() due
to the unload of nbd module as shown below:

  BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000040
  Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP PTI
  CPU: 5 PID: 13840 Comm: kworker/u17:33 Not tainted 5.14.0+ #1
  Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996)
  Workqueue: knbd16-recv recv_work [nbd]
  RIP: 0010:nbd_read_stat.cold+0x130/0x1a4 [nbd]
  Call Trace:
   recv_work+0x3b/0xb0 [nbd]
   process_one_work+0x1ed/0x390
   worker_thread+0x4a/0x3d0
   kthread+0x12a/0x150
   ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30

Fixing it by checking the return value of try_module_get()
in nbd_alloc_config(). As nbd_alloc_config() may return ERR_PTR(-ENODEV),
assign nbd->config only when nbd_alloc_config() succeeds to ensure
the value of nbd->config is binary (valid or NULL).

Also adding a debug message to check the reference counter
of nbd_config during module removal.

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization), CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49300?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49300?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49300 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49300 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-2022-49300 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49300 is a medium-severity 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-2022-49300 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-2022-49300/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49300/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49300
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49300
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49300

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49300/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.