# CVE-2022-49779: kprobes: Skip clearing aggrprobe's post_handler in kprobe-on-ftrace case

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's kprobes subsystem allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges.

- **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:** 1 May 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49779, GHSA-2jgx-99cr-362f, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49779

## What is CVE-2022-49779?

CVE-2022-49779 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 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:

kprobes: Skip clearing aggrprobe's post_handler in kprobe-on-ftrace case

In __unregister_kprobe_top(), if the currently unregistered probe has
post_handler but other child probes of the aggrprobe do not have
post_handler, the post_handler of the aggrprobe is cleared. If this is
a ftrace-based probe, there is a problem. In later calls to
disarm_kprobe(), we will use kprobe_ftrace_ops because post_handler is
NULL. But we're armed with kprobe_ipmodify_ops. This triggers a WARN in
__disarm_kprobe_ftrace() and may even cause use-after-free:

  Failed to disarm kprobe-ftrace at kernel_clone+0x0/0x3c0 (error -2)
  WARNING: CPU: 5 PID: 137 at kernel/kprobes.c:1135 __disarm_kprobe_ftrace.isra.21+0xcf/0xe0
  Modules linked in: testKprobe_007(-)
  CPU: 5 PID: 137 Comm: rmmod Not tainted 6.1.0-rc4-dirty #18
  [...]
  Call Trace:
   <TASK>
   __disable_kprobe+0xcd/0xe0
   __unregister_kprobe_top+0x12/0x150
   ? mutex_lock+0xe/0x30
   unregister_kprobes.part.23+0x31/0xa0
   unregister_kprobe+0x32/0x40
   __x64_sys_delete_module+0x15e/0x260
   ? do_user_addr_fault+0x2cd/0x6b0
   do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x90
   entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd
   [...]

For the kprobe-on-ftrace case, we keep the post_handler setting to
identify this aggrprobe armed with kprobe_ipmodify_ops. This way we
can disarm it correctly.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49779?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49779?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49779 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49779 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-2022-49779 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49779 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 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-2022-49779 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-2022-49779/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49779/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49779
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49779
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49779

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49779/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.