CVE-2022-50214
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-06-18
Last updated on: 2025-11-19
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-416 | The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a use-after-free issue in the Linux kernel's coresight subsystem. Coresight devices track their output connections and hold references to firmware nodes (fwnode). When devices are removed, the system should drop these references properly. However, due to a flaw in the coresight_remove_match() function, the fwnode field is not cleared after dropping the reference. This causes the device to still hold a stale reference, leading to use-after-free and incorrect reference count drops, which can cause kernel warnings or crashes.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can lead to use-after-free conditions in the Linux kernel, which may cause system instability, kernel warnings, or crashes. Such issues can affect the reliability and availability of systems running vulnerable kernel versions, potentially leading to denial of service or other unintended behavior.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring the system logs for specific kernel warnings related to refcount errors in the coresight subsystem. Look for messages similar to 'refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free' and warnings from refcount_warn_saturate in the kernel log (dmesg). You can use the command 'dmesg | grep refcount' to check for such warnings.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation involves updating the Linux kernel to a version where this vulnerability is fixed, as the issue is resolved by properly clearing the connection field in the coresight subsystem. Until an update is applied, monitor for the described kernel warnings and avoid removing coresight devices in an order that triggers the use-after-free condition.