# CVE-2022-49789: scsi: zfcp: Fix double free of FSF request when qdio send fails

> A double free vulnerability in the Linux kernel zfcp driver allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code via crafted FSF requests.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49789, GHSA-j9f5-mv8w-78qj, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49789

## What is CVE-2022-49789?

CVE-2022-49789 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:

scsi: zfcp: Fix double free of FSF request when qdio send fails

We used to use the wrong type of integer in 'zfcp_fsf_req_send()' to cache
the FSF request ID when sending a new FSF request. This is used in case the
sending fails and we need to remove the request from our internal hash
table again (so we don't keep an invalid reference and use it when we free
the request again).

In 'zfcp_fsf_req_send()' we used to cache the ID as 'int' (signed and 32
bit wide), but the rest of the zfcp code (and the firmware specification)
handles the ID as 'unsigned long'/'u64' (unsigned and 64 bit wide [s390x
ELF ABI]).  For one this has the obvious problem that when the ID grows
past 32 bit (this can happen reasonably fast) it is truncated to 32 bit
when storing it in the cache variable and so doesn't match the original ID
anymore.  The second less obvious problem is that even when the original ID
has not yet grown past 32 bit, as soon as the 32nd bit is set in the
original ID (0x80000000 = 2'147'483'648) we will have a mismatch when we
cast it back to 'unsigned long'. As the cached variable is of a signed
type, the compiler will choose a sign-extending instruction to load the 32
bit variable into a 64 bit register (e.g.: 'lgf %r11,188(%r15)'). So once
we pass the cached variable into 'zfcp_reqlist_find_rm()' to remove the
request again all the leading zeros will be flipped to ones to extend the
sign and won't match the original ID anymore (this has been observed in
practice).

If we can't successfully remove the request from the hash table again after
'zfcp_qdio_send()' fails (this happens regularly when zfcp cannot notify
the adapter about new work because the adapter is already gone during
e.g. a ChpID toggle) we will end up with a double free.  We unconditionally
free the request in the calling function when 'zfcp_fsf_req_send()' fails,
but because the request is still in the hash table we end up with a stale
memory reference, and once the zfcp adapter is either reset during recovery
or shutdown we end up freeing the same memory twice.

The resulting stack traces vary depending on the kernel and have no direct
correlation to the place where the bug occurs. Here are three examples that
have been seen in practice:

  list_del corruption. next->prev should be 00000001b9d13800, but was 00000000dead4ead. (next=00000001bd131a00)
  ------------[ cut here ]------------
  kernel BUG at lib/list_debug.c:62!
  monitor event: 0040 ilc:2 [#1] PREEMPT SMP
  Modules linked in: ...
  CPU: 9 PID: 1617 Comm: zfcperp0.0.1740 Kdump: loaded
  Hardware name: ...
  Krnl PSW : 0704d00180000000 00000003cbeea1f8 (__list_del_entry_valid+0x98/0x140)
             R:0 T:1 IO:1 EX:1 Key:0 M:1 W:0 P:0 AS:3 CC:1 PM:0 RI:0 EA:3
  Krnl GPRS: 00000000916d12f1 0000000080000000 000000000000006d 00000003cb665cd6
             0000000000000001 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 00000000d28d21e8
             00000000d3844000 00000380099efd28 00000001bd131a00 00000001b9d13800
             00000000d3290100 0000000000000000 00000003cbeea1f4 00000380099efc70
  Krnl Code: 00000003cbeea1e8: c020004f68a7        larl    %r2,00000003cc8d7336
             00000003cbeea1ee: c0e50027fd65        brasl   %r14,00000003cc3e9cb8
            #00000003cbeea1f4: af000000            mc      0,0
            >00000003cbeea1f8: c02000920440        larl    %r2,00000003cd12aa78
             00000003cbeea1fe: c0e500289c25        brasl   %r14,00000003cc3fda48
             00000003cbeea204: b9040043            lgr     %r4,%r3
             00000003cbeea208: b9040051            lgr     %r5,%r1
             00000003cbeea20c: b9040032            lgr     %r3,%r2
  Call Trace:
   [<00000003cbeea1f8>] __list_del_entry_valid+0x98/0x140
  ([<00000003cbeea1f4>] __list_del_entry_valid+0x94/0x140)
   [<000003ff7ff502fe>] zfcp_fsf_req_dismiss_all+0xde/0x150 [zfcp]
   [<000003ff7ff49cd0>] zfcp_erp_strategy_do_action+0x160/0x280 [zfcp]
---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49789?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49789?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49789 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49789 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-2022-49789 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49789 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-2022-49789 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-2022-49789/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49789/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49789
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49789
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49789

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49789/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.