CVE-2022-50220

HIGH EPSS 9.7%
Published Jun 18, 20251y ago · Modified Jun 17, 20261w ago
7.8 CVSS 3.1
High
Find Similar
Published Jun 18, 2025 1y ago
Last Modified Jun 17, 2026 1w ago

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usbnet: Fix linkwatch use-after-free on disconnect usbnet uses the work usbnet_deferred_kevent() to perform tasks which may sleep. On disconnect, completion of the work was originally awaited in ->ndo_stop(). But in 2003, that was moved to ->disconnect() by historic commit "[PATCH] USB: usbnet, prevent exotic rtnl deadlock": https://git.kernel.org/tglx/history/c/0f138bbfd83c The change was made because back then, the kernel's workqueue implementation did not allow waiting for a single work. One had to wait for completion of *all* work by calling flush_scheduled_work(), and that could deadlock when waiting for usbnet_deferred_kevent() with rtnl_mutex held in ->ndo_stop(). The commit solved one problem but created another: It causes a use-after-free in USB Ethernet drivers aqc111.c, asix_devices.c, ax88179_178a.c, ch9200.c and smsc75xx.c: * If the drivers receive a link change interrupt immediately before disconnect, they raise EVENT_LINK_RESET in their (non-sleepable) ->status() callback and schedule usbnet_deferred_kevent(). * usbnet_deferred_kevent() invokes the driver's ->link_reset() callback, which calls netif_carrier_{on,off}(). * That in turn schedules the work linkwatch_event(). Because usbnet_deferred_kevent() is awaited after unregister_netdev(), netif_carrier_{on,off}() may operate on an unregistered netdev and linkwatch_event() may run after free_netdev(), causing a use-after-free. In 2010, usbnet was changed to only wait for a single instance of usbnet_deferred_kevent() instead of *all* work by commit 23f333a2bfaf ("drivers/net: don't use flush_scheduled_work()"). Unfortunately the commit neglected to move the wait back to ->ndo_stop(). Rectify that omission at long last.

CVSS Details

Base Score
7.8
Exploitability
1.8
Impact
5.9
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack Vector Local
Attack Complexity Low
Privileges Required Low
User Interaction None
Scope Unchanged
Confidentiality High
Integrity High
Availability High

Threat Intelligence

EPSS Exploit Probability
9.7% percentile
Exploit & Patch Status
No Known Exploit
Patch Available

Weaknesses 1

CWE-416 Use After Free Memory Safety

Affected Products 8

VendorProductVersionRange
linuxlinux_kernel*≥2.6.38  –  <4.9.326
linuxlinux_kernel*≥4.10  –  <4.14.291
linuxlinux_kernel*≥4.15  –  <4.19.256
linuxlinux_kernel*≥4.20  –  <5.4.211
linuxlinux_kernel*≥5.5  –  <5.10.137
linuxlinux_kernel*≥5.11  –  <5.15.61
linuxlinux_kernel*≥5.16  –  <5.18.18
linuxlinux_kernel*≥5.19  –  <5.19.2

References 9

  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/135199a2edd459d2b123144efcd7f9bcd95128e4
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/635fd8953e4309b54ca6a81bed1d4a87668694f4
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f77dcbc030c2faa6d8e8a594985eeb34018409e
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8b4588b8b00b299be16a35be67b331d8fdba03f3
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a69e617e533edddf3fa3123149900f36e0a6dc74
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2d6b530d89b0a912148018027386aa049f0a309
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d49bb8cf9bfaa06aa527eb30f1a52a071da2e32f
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/db3b738ae5f726204876f4303c49cfdf4311403f
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2a521a7dcc463c5017b4426ca0804e151faeff7
    Patch

Remediation

  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/135199a2edd459d2b123144efcd7f9bcd95128e4
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/635fd8953e4309b54ca6a81bed1d4a87668694f4
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f77dcbc030c2faa6d8e8a594985eeb34018409e
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8b4588b8b00b299be16a35be67b331d8fdba03f3
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a69e617e533edddf3fa3123149900f36e0a6dc74
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2d6b530d89b0a912148018027386aa049f0a309
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d49bb8cf9bfaa06aa527eb30f1a52a071da2e32f
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/db3b738ae5f726204876f4303c49cfdf4311403f
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2a521a7dcc463c5017b4426ca0804e151faeff7
    Patch