# CVE-2022-49842: ASoC: core: Fix use-after-free in snd_soc_exit()

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ASoC core allows local attackers to cause a system crash or potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **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-2022-49842, GHSA-8r89-r77h-8gvm, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49842

## What is CVE-2022-49842?

CVE-2022-49842 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:

ASoC: core: Fix use-after-free in snd_soc_exit()

KASAN reports a use-after-free:

BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in device_del+0xb5b/0xc60
Read of size 8 at addr ffff888008655050 by task rmmod/387
CPU: 2 PID: 387 Comm: rmmod
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996)
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x79/0x9a
print_report+0x17f/0x47b
kasan_report+0xbb/0xf0
device_del+0xb5b/0xc60
platform_device_del.part.0+0x24/0x200
platform_device_unregister+0x2e/0x40
snd_soc_exit+0xa/0x22 [snd_soc_core]
__do_sys_delete_module.constprop.0+0x34f/0x5b0
do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x90
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd
...
</TASK>

It's bacause in snd_soc_init(), snd_soc_util_init() is possble to fail,
but its ret is ignored, which makes soc_dummy_dev unregistered twice.

snd_soc_init()
    snd_soc_util_init()
        platform_device_register_simple(soc_dummy_dev)
        platform_driver_register() # fail
    	platform_device_unregister(soc_dummy_dev)
    platform_driver_register() # success
...
snd_soc_exit()
    snd_soc_util_exit()
    # soc_dummy_dev will be unregistered for second time

To fix it, handle error and stop snd_soc_init() when util_init() fail.
Also clean debugfs when util_init() or driver_register() fail.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49842?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49842?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49842 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49842 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-2022-49842 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49842 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-2022-49842 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-2022-49842/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49842/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49842
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49842
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49842

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49842/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.