# CVE-2022-49904: net, neigh: Fix null-ptr-deref in neigh_table_clear()

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's IPv6 initialization error handling causes a kernel panic, leading to denial of service.

- **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:** 23 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49904, GHSA-cfq2-3x3p-fqxp, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49904

## What is CVE-2022-49904?

CVE-2022-49904 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:

net, neigh: Fix null-ptr-deref in neigh_table_clear()

When IPv6 module gets initialized but hits an error in the middle,
kenel panic with:

KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000598-0x000000000000059f]
CPU: 1 PID: 361 Comm: insmod
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996)
RIP: 0010:__neigh_ifdown.isra.0+0x24b/0x370
RSP: 0018:ffff888012677908 EFLAGS: 00000202
...
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 neigh_table_clear+0x94/0x2d0
 ndisc_cleanup+0x27/0x40 [ipv6]
 inet6_init+0x21c/0x2cb [ipv6]
 do_one_initcall+0xd3/0x4d0
 do_init_module+0x1ae/0x670
...
Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception

When ipv6 initialization fails, it will try to cleanup and calls:

neigh_table_clear()
  neigh_ifdown(tbl, NULL)
    pneigh_queue_purge(&tbl->proxy_queue, dev_net(dev == NULL))
    # dev_net(NULL) triggers null-ptr-deref.

Fix it by passing NULL to pneigh_queue_purge() in neigh_ifdown() if dev
is NULL, to make kernel not panic immediately.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49904?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49904?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49904 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49904 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-2022-49904 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49904 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-2022-49904 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-2022-49904/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49904/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49904
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49904
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49904

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49904/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.