CVE-2022-50499 media: dvb-core: Fix double free in dvb_register_device()
A double free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DVB core allows attackers to trigger a use-after-free, potentially leading to code execution or system crashes.
- 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-2022-50499?
CVE-2022-50499 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Oct 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:
media: dvb-core: Fix double free in dvb_register_device()
In function dvb_register_device() -> dvb_register_media_device() -> dvb_create_media_entity(), dvb->entity is allocated and initialized. If the initialization fails, it frees the dvb->entity, and return an error code. The caller takes the error code and handles the error by calling dvb_media_device_free(), which unregisters the entity and frees the field again if it is not NULL. As dvb->entity may not NULLed in dvb_create_media_entity() when the allocation of dvbdev->pad fails, a double free may occur. This may also cause an Use After free in media_device_unregister_entity().
Fix this by storing NULL to dvb->entity when it is freed.
Weakness: CWE-415
Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50499?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2022-50499?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2022-50499 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50499 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50499, GHSA-vw72-9rh3-2576, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50499.