CVE-2022-49619 – A memory leak vulnerability exists in the Linux... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-49619?

CVE-2022-49619 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). A memory leak vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) module driver. When devm_add_action() fails during sfp_probe(), allocated memory isn't freed, causing a kernel memory leak. This affects Linux systems using SFP network modules.

📋 TL;DR

A memory leak vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) module driver. When devm_add_action() fails during sfp_probe(), allocated memory isn't freed, causing a kernel memory leak. This affects Linux systems using SFP network modules.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific kernel versions with the vulnerable sfp_probe() implementation

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with SFP network hardware modules. The vulnerability is triggered when devm_add_action() fails during SFP module initialization.

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

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Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Sustained exploitation could cause kernel memory exhaustion leading to system instability, crashes, or denial of service.

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory consumption over time causing performance degradation or eventual system instability.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory limits in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or ability to trigger SFP module operations.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could affect servers with SFP network interfaces if exploited by local users or through other vulnerabilities.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires ability to trigger SFP module operations and cause devm_add_action() to fail. No known public exploits exist.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions with commit 0a18d802d65cf662644fd1d369c86d84a5630652 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a18d802d65cf662644fd1d369c86d84a5630652

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Check kernel commit includes fix for sfp_probe(). 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable SFP modules

linux

Remove or disable SFP network hardware modules if not required

# Physically remove SFP modules from affected systems
# Or disable via kernel parameters if supported

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor kernel memory usage for abnormal increases
Implement system memory limits and restart services if memory thresholds exceeded

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and verify if SFP module is loaded: lsmod | grep sfp

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes the fix commit: git log --oneline | grep 'sfp_probe'

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oom-killer messages
System memory exhaustion warnings
SFP module initialization failures

Network Indicators:

None specific - this is a local memory issue

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "oom-killer" OR "sfp")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-49619

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-401

EPSS Score: 0.03% exploit probability (7.6th percentile)

Published: February 26, 2025

Last Updated: October 1, 2025

🔗 References

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