# 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.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50829, GHSA-m2j8-j8ph-hxxh, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50829

## 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.

## Is CVE-2022-50829 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50829 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-50829 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50829 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2022-50829/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50829/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50829
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-50829
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-50829

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50829/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.