Linux Kernel up to 6.0.9 bpf_prog_test_run_skb use after free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.0.9. It has been declared as critical. This affects the function bpf_prog_test_run_skb. Executing a manipulation can lead to use after free. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2022-49840. No exploit exists. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.0.9 and classified as critical. This vulnerability affects the function bpf_prog_test_run_skb. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf, test_run: Fix alignment problem in bpf_prog_test_run_skb() We got a syzkaller problem because of aarch64 alignment fault if KFENCE enabled. When the size from user bpf program is an odd number, like 399, 407, etc, it will cause the struct skb_shared_info's unaligned access. As seen below: BUG: KFENCE: use-after-free read in __skb_clone+0x23c/0x2a0 net/core/skbuff.c:1032 Use-after-free read at 0xffff6254fffac077 (in kfence-#213): __lse_atomic_add arch/arm64/include/asm/atomic_lse.h:26 [inline] arch_atomic_add arch/arm64/include/asm/atomic.h:28 [inline] arch_atomic_inc include/linux/atomic-arch-fallback.h:270 [inline] atomic_inc include/asm-generic/atomic-instrumented.h:241 [inline] __skb_clone+0x23c/0x2a0 net/core/skbuff.c:1032 skb_clone+0xf4/0x214 net/core/skbuff.c:1481 ____bpf_clone_redirect net/core/filter.c:2433 [inline] bpf_clone_redirect+0x78/0x1c0 net/core/filter.c:2420 bpf_prog_d3839dd9068ceb51+0x80/0x330 bpf_dispatcher_nop_func include/linux/bpf.h:728 [inline] bpf_test_run+0x3c0/0x6c0 net/bpf/test_run.c:53 bpf_prog_test_run_skb+0x638/0xa7c net/bpf/test_run.c:594 bpf_prog_test_run kernel/bpf/syscall.c:3148 [inline] __do_sys_bpf kernel/bpf/syscall.c:4441 [inline] __se_sys_bpf+0xad0/0x1634 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:4381 kfence-#213: 0xffff6254fffac000-0xffff6254fffac196, size=407, cache=kmalloc-512 allocated by task 15074 on cpu 0 at 1342.585390s: kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:568 [inline] kzalloc include/linux/slab.h:675 [inline] bpf_test_init.isra.0+0xac/0x290 net/bpf/test_run.c:191 bpf_prog_test_run_skb+0x11c/0xa7c net/bpf/test_run.c:512 bpf_prog_test_run kernel/bpf/syscall.c:3148 [inline] __do_sys_bpf kernel/bpf/syscall.c:4441 [inline] __se_sys_bpf+0xad0/0x1634 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:4381 __arm64_sys_bpf+0x50/0x60 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:4381 To fix the problem, we adjust @size so that (@size + @hearoom) is a multiple of SMP_CACHE_BYTES. So we make sure the struct skb_shared_info is aligned to a cache line.

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2022-49840 since 05/01/2025. The exploitation appears 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 03/14/2026).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 240793 (SUSE SLES12 Security Update : kernel (SUSE-SU-2025:01983-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 4.14.300, 4.19.267, 5.4.225, 5.10.156, 5.15.80 or 6.0.10 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 047824a730699c6c66df43306b80f700c9dfc2fd/730fb1ef974a13915bc7651364d8b3318891cd70/7a704dbfd3735304e261f2787c52fbc7c3884736/e60f37a1d379c821c17b08f366412dce9ef3d99f/eaa8edd86514afac9deb9bf9a5053e74f37edf40/1b597f2d6a55e9f549989913860ad5170da04964/d3fd203f36d46aa29600a72d57a1b61af80e4a25 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 databases at Tenable (240793) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-0922). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Google Container-Optimized OS
• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Dell Avamar
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• IBM DataPower Gateway
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 4.14.299
• 4.19.266
• 5.4.224
• 5.10.155
• 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
• 5.15.46
• 5.15.47
• 5.15.48
• 5.15.49
• 5.15.50
• 5.15.51
• 5.15.52
• 5.15.53
• 5.15.54
• 5.15.55
• 5.15.56
• 5.15.57
• 5.15.58
• 5.15.59
• 5.15.60
• 5.15.61
• 5.15.62
• 5.15.63
• 5.15.64
• 5.15.65
• 5.15.66
• 5.15.67
• 5.15.68
• 5.15.69
• 5.15.70
• 5.15.71
• 5.15.72
• 5.15.73
• 5.15.74
• 5.15.75
• 5.15.76
• 5.15.77
• 5.15.78
• 5.15.79
• 6.0.0
• 6.0.1
• 6.0.2
• 6.0.3
• 6.0.4
• 6.0.5
• 6.0.6
• 6.0.7
• 6.0.8
• 6.0.9

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