CVE-2022-50288
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2025-09-15

Last updated on: 2025-12-03

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: qlcnic: prevent ->dcb use-after-free on qlcnic_dcb_enable() failure adapter->dcb would get silently freed inside qlcnic_dcb_enable() in case qlcnic_dcb_attach() would return an error, which always happens under OOM conditions. This would lead to use-after-free because both of the existing callers invoke qlcnic_dcb_get_info() on the obtained pointer, which is potentially freed at that point. Propagate errors from qlcnic_dcb_enable(), and instead free the dcb pointer at callsite using qlcnic_dcb_free(). This also removes the now unused qlcnic_clear_dcb_ops() helper, which was a simple wrapper around kfree() also causing memory leaks for partially initialized dcb. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with the SVACE static analysis tool.
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Meta Information
Published
2025-09-15
Last Modified
2025-12-03
Generated
2026-05-07
AI Q&A
2025-09-15
EPSS Evaluated
2026-05-05
NVD
CVE-2022-50288
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 9 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel From 3.14 (inc) to 4.14.303 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 4.15 (inc) to 4.19.270 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 4.20 (inc) to 5.4.229 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.5 (inc) to 5.10.163 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.87 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.16 (inc) to 6.0.19 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.1 (inc) to 6.1.5 (exc)
linux linux_kernel 6.2
linux linux_kernel 6.2
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
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AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

This vulnerability is a use-after-free issue in the Linux kernel's qlcnic driver. Specifically, when qlcnic_dcb_attach() fails (which happens under out-of-memory conditions), the adapter->dcb pointer is silently freed inside qlcnic_dcb_enable(). However, the callers still try to use this pointer via qlcnic_dcb_get_info(), leading to use-after-free errors. The fix involves propagating errors properly and freeing the dcb pointer at the call site to avoid this unsafe use.


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

This vulnerability can lead to use-after-free memory errors in the Linux kernel's network driver, which may cause system instability, crashes, or potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges if exploited. It affects the reliability and security of systems running the vulnerable Linux kernel version.


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