CVE-2022-49696 tipc: fix use-after-free Read in tipc_named_reinit
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's TIPC subsystem allows attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges.
- 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-2022-49696?
CVE-2022-49696 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:
tipc: fix use-after-free Read in tipc_named_reinit
syzbot found the following issue on: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in tipc_named_reinit+0x94f/0x9b0 net/tipc/name_distr.c:413 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88805299a000 by task kworker/1:9/23764
CPU: 1 PID: 23764 Comm: kworker/1:9 Not tainted 5.18.0-rc4-syzkaller-00878-g17d49e6e8012 #0 Hardware name: Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 01/01/2011 Workqueue: events tipc_net_finalize_work Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0xcd/0x134 lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_address_description.constprop.0.cold+0xeb/0x495 mm/kasan/report.c:313 print_report mm/kasan/report.c:429 [inline] kasan_report.cold+0xf4/0x1c6 mm/kasan/report.c:491 tipc_named_reinit+0x94f/0x9b0 net/tipc/name_distr.c:413 tipc_net_finalize+0x234/0x3d0 net/tipc/net.c:138 process_one_work+0x996/0x1610 kernel/workqueue.c:2289 worker_thread+0x665/0x1080 kernel/workqueue.c:2436 kthread+0x2e9/0x3a0 kernel/kthread.c:376 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:298 </TASK> [...] ==================================================================
In the commit d966ddcc3821 ("tipc: fix a deadlock when flushing scheduled work"), the cancel_work_sync() function just to make sure ONLY the work tipc_net_finalize_work() is executing/pending on any CPU completed before tipc namespace is destroyed through tipc_exit_net(). But this function is not guaranteed the work is the last queued. So, the destroyed instance may be accessed in the work which will try to enqueue later.
In order to completely fix, we re-order the calling of cancel_work_sync() to make sure the work tipc_net_finalize_work() was last queued and it must be completed by calling cancel_work_sync().
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49696?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2022-49696?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2022-49696 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49696 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49696, GHSA-9hgg-vxph-4hw9, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49696.