# CVE-2022-49975: bpf: Don't redirect packets with invalid pkt_len

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel BPF subsystem allows attackers to cause a denial of service by redirecting empty packets.

- **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:** 18 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49975, GHSA-29wv-m5qw-5h7j, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49975

## What is CVE-2022-49975?

CVE-2022-49975 is a high-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:

bpf: Don't redirect packets with invalid pkt_len

Syzbot found an issue [1]: fq_codel_drop() try to drop a flow whitout any
skbs, that is, the flow->head is null.
The root cause, as the [2] says, is because that bpf_prog_test_run_skb()
run a bpf prog which redirects empty skbs.
So we should determine whether the length of the packet modified by bpf
prog or others like bpf_prog_test is valid before forwarding it directly.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49975?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49975?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49975 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49975 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-2022-49975 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49975 is a high-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-2022-49975 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-2022-49975/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49975/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49975
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49975
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49975

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49975/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.