# CVE-2022-49936: USB: core: Prevent nested device-reset calls

> A recursive locking violation in the Linux kernel USB storage driver can cause a deadlock, leading to a 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:** 18 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49936, GHSA-2gg5-4wg8-wvxp, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49936

## What is CVE-2022-49936?

CVE-2022-49936 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Jun 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:

USB: core: Prevent nested device-reset calls

Automatic kernel fuzzing revealed a recursive locking violation in
usb-storage:

============================================
WARNING: possible recursive locking detected
5.18.0 #3 Not tainted
--------------------------------------------
kworker/1:3/1205 is trying to acquire lock:
ffff888018638db8 (&us_interface_key[i]){+.+.}-{3:3}, at:
usb_stor_pre_reset+0x35/0x40 drivers/usb/storage/usb.c:230

but task is already holding lock:
ffff888018638db8 (&us_interface_key[i]){+.+.}-{3:3}, at:
usb_stor_pre_reset+0x35/0x40 drivers/usb/storage/usb.c:230

...

stack backtrace:
CPU: 1 PID: 1205 Comm: kworker/1:3 Not tainted 5.18.0 #3
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS
1.13.0-1ubuntu1.1 04/01/2014
Workqueue: usb_hub_wq hub_event
Call Trace:
<TASK>
__dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline]
dump_stack_lvl+0xcd/0x134 lib/dump_stack.c:106
print_deadlock_bug kernel/locking/lockdep.c:2988 [inline]
check_deadlock kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3031 [inline]
validate_chain kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3816 [inline]
__lock_acquire.cold+0x152/0x3ca kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5053
lock_acquire kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5665 [inline]
lock_acquire+0x1ab/0x520 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5630
__mutex_lock_common kernel/locking/mutex.c:603 [inline]
__mutex_lock+0x14f/0x1610 kernel/locking/mutex.c:747
usb_stor_pre_reset+0x35/0x40 drivers/usb/storage/usb.c:230
usb_reset_device+0x37d/0x9a0 drivers/usb/core/hub.c:6109
r871xu_dev_remove+0x21a/0x270 drivers/staging/rtl8712/usb_intf.c:622
usb_unbind_interface+0x1bd/0x890 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:458
device_remove drivers/base/dd.c:545 [inline]
device_remove+0x11f/0x170 drivers/base/dd.c:537
__device_release_driver drivers/base/dd.c:1222 [inline]
device_release_driver_internal+0x1a7/0x2f0 drivers/base/dd.c:1248
usb_driver_release_interface+0x102/0x180 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:627
usb_forced_unbind_intf+0x4d/0xa0 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:1118
usb_reset_device+0x39b/0x9a0 drivers/usb/core/hub.c:6114

This turned out not to be an error in usb-storage but rather a nested
device reset attempt.  That is, as the rtl8712 driver was being
unbound from a composite device in preparation for an unrelated USB
reset (that driver does not have pre_reset or post_reset callbacks),
its ->remove routine called usb_reset_device() -- thus nesting one
reset call within another.

Performing a reset as part of disconnect processing is a questionable
practice at best.  However, the bug report points out that the USB
core does not have any protection against nested resets.  Adding a
reset_in_progress flag and testing it will prevent such errors in the
future.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49936?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49936?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49936 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49936 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-2022-49936 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49936 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Jun 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-2022-49936 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-2022-49936/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49936/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49936
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49936
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49936

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49936/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.