CVE-2022-49021

CVE-2022-49021 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-476.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: phy: fix null-ptr-deref while probe() failed I got a null-ptr-deref report as following when doing fault injection test: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000058 Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN PTI CPU: 1 PID: 253 Comm: 507-spi-dm9051 Tainted: G B N 6.1.0-rc3+ Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.13.0-1ubuntu1.1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:klist_put+0x2d/0xd0 Call Trace: <TASK> klist_remove+0xf1/0x1c0 device_release_driver_internal+0x23e/0x2d0 bus_remove_device+0x1bd/0x240 device_del+0x357/0x770 phy_device_remove+0x11/0x30 mdiobus_unregister+0xa5/0x140 release_nodes+0x6a/0xa0 devres_release_all+0xf8/0x150 device_unbind_cleanup+0x19/0xd0 //probe path: phy_device_register() device_add() phy_connect phy_attach_direct() //set device driver probe() //it's failed, driver is not bound device_bind_driver() // probe failed, it's not called //remove path: phy_device_remove() device_del() device_release_driver_internal() __device_release_driver() //dev->drv is not NULL klist_remove() <- knode_driver is not added yet, cause null-ptr-deref In phy_attach_direct(), after setting the 'dev->driver', probe() fails, device_bind_driver() is not called, so the knode_driver->n_klist is not set, then it causes null-ptr-deref in __device_release_driver() while deleting device. Fix this by setting dev->driver to NULL in the error path in phy_attach_direct().

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-49021?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: phy: fix null-ptr-deref while probe() failed I got a null-ptr-deref report as following when doing fault injection test: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000058 Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN PTI CPU: 1 PID: 253 Comm: 507-spi-dm9051 Tainted: G B N 6.1.0-rc3+ Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.13.0-1ubuntu1.1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:klist_put+0x2d/0xd0 Call Trace: <TASK> klist_remove+0xf1/0x1c0 device_release_driver_internal+0x23e/0x2d0 bus_remove_device+0x1bd/0x240 device_del+0x357/0x770 phy_device_remove+0x11/0x30 mdiobus_unregister+0xa5/0x140 release_nodes+0x6a/0xa0 devres_release_all+0xf8/0x150 device_unbind_cleanup+0x19/0xd0 //probe path: phy_device_register() device_add() phy_connect phy_attach_direct() //set device driver probe() //it's failed, driver is not bound device_bind_driver() // probe failed, it's not called //remove path: phy_device_remove() device_del() device_release_driver_internal() __device_release_driver() //dev->drv is not NULL klist_remove() <- knode_driver is not added yet, cause null-ptr-deref In phy_attach_direct(), after setting the 'dev->driver', probe() fails, device_bind_driver() is not called, so the knode_driver->n_klist is not set, then it causes null-ptr-deref in __device_release_driver() while deleting device. Fix this by setting dev->driver to NULL in the error path in phy_attach_direct().
How severe is CVE-2022-49021?
CVE-2022-49021 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2022-49021 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (20th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-49021?
CVE-2022-49021 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-49021?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2022-49021 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2022-49021 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2022-53905.
When was CVE-2022-49021 published?
CVE-2022-49021 was published on 2024-10-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (8)

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