CVE-2022-50829 wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: Fix use-after-free in ath9k_hif_usb_reg_in_cb()
A use-after-free vulnerability in the ath9k USB WiFi driver allows local attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2022-50829?
CVE-2022-50829 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 30 Dec 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:
wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: Fix use-after-free in ath9k_hif_usb_reg_in_cb()
It is possible that skb is freed in ath9k_htc_rx_msg(), then usb_submit_urb() fails and we try to free skb again. It causes use-after-free bug. Moreover, if alloc_skb() fails, urb->context becomes NULL but rx_buf is not freed and there can be a memory leak.
The patch removes unnecessary nskb and makes skb processing more clear: it is supposed that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees old skb or passes its managing to another callback function.
Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50829?
How do I fix CVE-2022-50829?
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-2022-50829 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50829 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50829, GHSA-m2j8-j8ph-hxxh, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50829.