# CVE-2022-49823: ata: libata-transport: fix error handling in ata_tdev_add()

> A missing return value check in the Linux kernel's libata transport layer causes a null pointer dereference during module removal, leading to a system crash.

- **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:** 1 May 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49823, GHSA-4vrr-6gm8-fwf2, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49823

## What is CVE-2022-49823?

CVE-2022-49823 is a medium-severity 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:

ata: libata-transport: fix error handling in ata_tdev_add()

In ata_tdev_add(), the return value of transport_add_device() is
not checked. As a result, it causes null-ptr-deref while removing
the module, because transport_remove_device() is called to remove
the device that was not added.

Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000000000d0
CPU: 13 PID: 13603 Comm: rmmod Kdump: loaded Tainted: G        W          6.1.0-rc3+ #36
pstate: 60400009 (nZCv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
pc : device_del+0x48/0x3a0
lr : device_del+0x44/0x3a0
Call trace:
 device_del+0x48/0x3a0
 attribute_container_class_device_del+0x28/0x40
 transport_remove_classdev+0x60/0x7c
 attribute_container_device_trigger+0x118/0x120
 transport_remove_device+0x20/0x30
 ata_tdev_delete+0x24/0x50 [libata]
 ata_tlink_delete+0x40/0xa0 [libata]
 ata_tport_delete+0x2c/0x60 [libata]
 ata_port_detach+0x148/0x1b0 [libata]
 ata_pci_remove_one+0x50/0x80 [libata]
 ahci_remove_one+0x4c/0x8c [ahci]

Fix this by checking and handling return value of transport_add_device()
in ata_tdev_add(). In the error path, device_del() is called to delete
the device which was added earlier in this function, and ata_tdev_free()
is called to free ata_dev.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49823?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49823?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49823 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49823 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-2022-49823 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49823 is a medium-severity 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-2022-49823 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-2022-49823/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49823/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49823
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49823
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49823

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49823/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.