CVE-2022-49865 ipv6: addrlabel: fix infoleak when sending struct ifaddrlblmsg to network
An uninitialized memory leak in the Linux kernel IPv6 address label handling allows attackers to read sensitive kernel memory.
- 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-2022-49865?
CVE-2022-49865 is a high-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:
ipv6: addrlabel: fix infoleak when sending struct ifaddrlblmsg to network
When copying a `struct ifaddrlblmsg` to the network, __ifal_reserved remained uninitialized, resulting in a 1-byte infoleak:
BUG: KMSAN: kernel-network-infoleak in __netdev_start_xmit ./include/linux/netdevice.h:4841 __netdev_start_xmit ./include/linux/netdevice.h:4841 netdev_start_xmit ./include/linux/netdevice.h:4857 xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3590 dev_hard_start_xmit+0x1dc/0x800 net/core/dev.c:3606 __dev_queue_xmit+0x17e8/0x4350 net/core/dev.c:4256 dev_queue_xmit ./include/linux/netdevice.h:3009 __netlink_deliver_tap_skb net/netlink/af_netlink.c:307 __netlink_deliver_tap+0x728/0xad0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:325 netlink_deliver_tap net/netlink/af_netlink.c:338 __netlink_sendskb net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1263 netlink_sendskb+0x1d9/0x200 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1272 netlink_unicast+0x56d/0xf50 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1360 nlmsg_unicast ./include/net/netlink.h:1061 rtnl_unicast+0x5a/0x80 net/core/rtnetlink.c:758 ip6addrlbl_get+0xfad/0x10f0 net/ipv6/addrlabel.c:628 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0xb33/0x1570 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6082 ... Uninit was created at: slab_post_alloc_hook+0x118/0xb00 mm/slab.h:742 slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3398 __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x4f2/0x930 mm/slub.c:3437 __do_kmalloc_node mm/slab_common.c:954 __kmalloc_node_track_caller+0x117/0x3d0 mm/slab_common.c:975 kmalloc_reserve net/core/skbuff.c:437 __alloc_skb+0x27a/0xab0 net/core/skbuff.c:509 alloc_skb ./include/linux/skbuff.h:1267 nlmsg_new ./include/net/netlink.h:964 ip6addrlbl_get+0x490/0x10f0 net/ipv6/addrlabel.c:608 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0xb33/0x1570 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6082 netlink_rcv_skb+0x299/0x550 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2540 rtnetlink_rcv+0x26/0x30 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6109 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1319 netlink_unicast+0x9ab/0xf50 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1345 netlink_sendmsg+0xebc/0x10f0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1921 ...
This patch ensures that the reserved field is always initialized.
Weakness: CWE-909
Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49865?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2022-49865?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2022-49865 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49865 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49865, GHSA-5jv4-93fg-hvqc, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49865.