Linux Kernel up to 5.18.2 device_is_registered use after free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability categorized as critical has been discovered in Linux Kernel up to 5.18.2. Impacted is the function device_is_registered. The manipulation results in use after free. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2022-49505. No exploit is available. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.18.2. It has been classified as critical. Affected is the function device_is_registered. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. This is going to have an impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NFC: NULL out the dev->rfkill to prevent UAF Commit 3e3b5dfcd16a ("NFC: reorder the logic in nfc_{un,}register_device") assumes the device_is_registered() in function nfc_dev_up() will help to check when the rfkill is unregistered. However, this check only take effect when device_del(&dev->dev) is done in nfc_unregister_device(). Hence, the rfkill object is still possible be dereferenced. The crash trace in latest kernel (5.18-rc2): [ 68.760105] ================================================================== [ 68.760330] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in __lock_acquire+0x3ec1/0x6750 [ 68.760756] Read of size 8 at addr ffff888009c93018 by task fuzz/313 [ 68.760756] [ 68.760756] CPU: 0 PID: 313 Comm: fuzz Not tainted 5.18.0-rc2 #4 [ 68.760756] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.14.0-0-g155821a1990b-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 [ 68.760756] Call Trace: [ 68.760756] [ 68.760756] dump_stack_lvl+0x57/0x7d [ 68.760756] print_report.cold+0x5e/0x5db [ 68.760756] ? __lock_acquire+0x3ec1/0x6750 [ 68.760756] kasan_report+0xbe/0x1c0 [ 68.760756] ? __lock_acquire+0x3ec1/0x6750 [ 68.760756] __lock_acquire+0x3ec1/0x6750 [ 68.760756] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0x410/0x410 [ 68.760756] ? register_lock_class+0x18d0/0x18d0 [ 68.760756] lock_acquire+0x1ac/0x4f0 [ 68.760756] ? rfkill_blocked+0xe/0x60 [ 68.760756] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0x410/0x410 [ 68.760756] ? mutex_lock_io_nested+0x12c0/0x12c0 [ 68.760756] ? nla_get_range_signed+0x540/0x540 [ 68.760756] ? _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x4e/0x50 [ 68.760756] _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x39/0x50 [ 68.760756] ? rfkill_blocked+0xe/0x60 [ 68.760756] rfkill_blocked+0xe/0x60 [ 68.760756] nfc_dev_up+0x84/0x260 [ 68.760756] nfc_genl_dev_up+0x90/0xe0 [ 68.760756] genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1f4/0x2f0 [ 68.760756] ? genl_family_rcv_msg_attrs_parse.constprop.0+0x230/0x230 [ 68.760756] ? security_capable+0x51/0x90 [ 68.760756] genl_rcv_msg+0x280/0x500 [ 68.760756] ? genl_get_cmd+0x3c0/0x3c0 [ 68.760756] ? lock_acquire+0x1ac/0x4f0 [ 68.760756] ? nfc_genl_dev_down+0xe0/0xe0 [ 68.760756] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0x410/0x410 [ 68.760756] netlink_rcv_skb+0x11b/0x340 [ 68.760756] ? genl_get_cmd+0x3c0/0x3c0 [ 68.760756] ? netlink_ack+0x9c0/0x9c0 [ 68.760756] ? netlink_deliver_tap+0x136/0xb00 [ 68.760756] genl_rcv+0x1f/0x30 [ 68.760756] netlink_unicast+0x430/0x710 [ 68.760756] ? memset+0x20/0x40 [ 68.760756] ? netlink_attachskb+0x740/0x740 [ 68.760756] ? __build_skb_around+0x1f4/0x2a0 [ 68.760756] netlink_sendmsg+0x75d/0xc00 [ 68.760756] ? netlink_unicast+0x710/0x710 [ 68.760756] ? netlink_unicast+0x710/0x710 [ 68.760756] sock_sendmsg+0xdf/0x110 [ 68.760756] __sys_sendto+0x19e/0x270 [ 68.760756] ? __ia32_sys_getpeername+0xa0/0xa0 [ 68.760756] ? fd_install+0x178/0x4c0 [ 68.760756] ? fd_install+0x195/0x4c0 [ 68.760756] ? kernel_fpu_begin_mask+0x1c0/0x1c0 [ 68.760756] __x64_sys_sendto+0xd8/0x1b0 [ 68.760756] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0xbf/0x130 [ 68.760756] ? syscall_enter_from_user_mode+0x1d/0x50 [ 68.760756] do_syscall_64+0x3b/0x90 [ 68.760756] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae [ 68.760756] RIP: 0033:0x7f67fb50e6b3 ... [ 68.760756] RSP: 002b:00007f67fa91fe90 EFLAGS: 00000293 ORIG_RAX: 000000000000002c [ 68.760756] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 00007f67fb50e6b3 [ 68.760756] RDX: 000000000000001c RSI: 0000559354603090 RDI: 0000000000000003 [ 68.760756] RBP: 00007f67fa91ff00 R08: 00007f67fa91fedc R09: 000000000000000c [ 68.760756] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000293 R12: 00007ffe824d496e [ 68.760756] R13: 00007ffe824d496f R14: 00007f67fa120000 R15: 0000000000000003 [ 68.760756] [ 68.760756] [ 68.760756] Allocated by task 279: [ 68.760756] kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40 [ ---truncated---

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2022-49505 since 02/26/2025. The exploitability is told to be easy. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available. The current price for an exploit might be approx. USD $0-$5k (estimation calculated on 04/17/2025).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 234545 (SUSE SLES12 Security Update : kernel (SUSE-SU-2025:1293-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 4.9.318, 4.14.283, 4.19.247, 5.4.198, 5.10.121, 5.15.46, 5.17.14 or 5.18.3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch a8e03bcad52dc9afabf650fdbad84f739cec9efa/f81270125b50532624400063281e6611ecd61ddf/6abfaca8711803d0d7cc8c0fac1070a88509d463/fbf9c4c714d3cdeb98b6a18e4d057f931cad1d81/2a1b5110c95e4d49c8c3906270dfcde680a5a7be/1632be63862f183cd5cf1cc094e698e6ec005dfd/4a68938f43b7c2663e4c90bb9bbe29ac8b9a42a0/4f5d71930f41be78557f9714393179025baacd65/1b0e81416a24d6e9b8c2341e22e8bf48f8b8bfc9 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at Tenable (234545). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 4.9.317
• 4.14.282
• 4.19.246
• 5.4.197
• 5.10.120
• 5.15.0
• 5.15.1
• 5.15.2
• 5.15.3
• 5.15.4
• 5.15.5
• 5.15.6
• 5.15.7
• 5.15.8
• 5.15.9
• 5.15.10
• 5.15.11
• 5.15.12
• 5.15.13
• 5.15.14
• 5.15.15
• 5.15.16
• 5.15.17
• 5.15.18
• 5.15.19
• 5.15.20
• 5.15.21
• 5.15.22
• 5.15.23
• 5.15.24
• 5.15.25
• 5.15.26
• 5.15.27
• 5.15.28
• 5.15.29
• 5.15.30
• 5.15.31
• 5.15.32
• 5.15.33
• 5.15.34
• 5.15.35
• 5.15.36
• 5.15.37
• 5.15.38
• 5.15.39
• 5.15.40
• 5.15.41
• 5.15.42
• 5.15.43
• 5.15.44
• 5.15.45
• 5.17.0
• 5.17.1
• 5.17.2
• 5.17.3
• 5.17.4
• 5.17.5
• 5.17.6
• 5.17.7
• 5.17.8
• 5.17.9
• 5.17.10
• 5.17.11
• 5.17.12
• 5.17.13
• 5.18.0
• 5.18.1
• 5.18.2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔍
• 🔍
• 🔍

CPE 2.2info

• 🔍
• 🔍
• 🔍

CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Discussion