# CVE-2022-49372: tcp: tcp_rtx_synack() can be called from process context

> A race condition in the Linux kernel TCP stack can cause a kernel bug and potential denial of service when processing SYN retransmits in process context.

- **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:** 26 Feb 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49372, GHSA-48pg-x75p-m28c, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49372

## What is CVE-2022-49372?

CVE-2022-49372 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:

tcp: tcp_rtx_synack() can be called from process context

Laurent reported the enclosed report [1]

This bug triggers with following coditions:

0) Kernel built with CONFIG_DEBUG_PREEMPT=y

1) A new passive FastOpen TCP socket is created.
   This FO socket waits for an ACK coming from client to be a complete
   ESTABLISHED one.
2) A socket operation on this socket goes through lock_sock()
   release_sock() dance.
3) While the socket is owned by the user in step 2),
   a retransmit of the SYN is received and stored in socket backlog.
4) At release_sock() time, the socket backlog is processed while
   in process context.
5) A SYNACK packet is cooked in response of the SYN retransmit.
6) -> tcp_rtx_synack() is called in process context.

Before blamed commit, tcp_rtx_synack() was always called from BH handler,
from a timer handler.

Fix this by using TCP_INC_STATS() & NET_INC_STATS()
which do not assume caller is in non preemptible context.

[1]
BUG: using __this_cpu_add() in preemptible [00000000] code: epollpep/2180
caller is tcp_rtx_synack.part.0+0x36/0xc0
CPU: 10 PID: 2180 Comm: epollpep Tainted: G           OE     5.16.0-0.bpo.4-amd64 #1  Debian 5.16.12-1~bpo11+1
Hardware name: Supermicro SYS-5039MC-H8TRF/X11SCD-F, BIOS 1.7 11/23/2021
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 dump_stack_lvl+0x48/0x5e
 check_preemption_disabled+0xde/0xe0
 tcp_rtx_synack.part.0+0x36/0xc0
 tcp_rtx_synack+0x8d/0xa0
 ? kmem_cache_alloc+0x2e0/0x3e0
 ? apparmor_file_alloc_security+0x3b/0x1f0
 inet_rtx_syn_ack+0x16/0x30
 tcp_check_req+0x367/0x610
 tcp_rcv_state_process+0x91/0xf60
 ? get_nohz_timer_target+0x18/0x1a0
 ? lock_timer_base+0x61/0x80
 ? preempt_count_add+0x68/0xa0
 tcp_v4_do_rcv+0xbd/0x270
 __release_sock+0x6d/0xb0
 release_sock+0x2b/0x90
 sock_setsockopt+0x138/0x1140
 ? __sys_getsockname+0x7e/0xc0
 ? aa_sk_perm+0x3e/0x1a0
 __sys_setsockopt+0x198/0x1e0
 __x64_sys_setsockopt+0x21/0x30
 do_syscall_64+0x38/0xc0
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49372?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49372?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49372 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49372 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-2022-49372 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49372 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-2022-49372 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-2022-49372/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49372/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49372
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49372
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49372

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49372/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.