CVE-2022-49700 – A race condition vulnerability in the Linux ker... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-49700?

CVE-2022-49700 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SLUB memory allocator could allow local attackers to cause memory corruption, potentially leading to use-after-free conditions or system crashes. This affects all Linux systems using the vulnerable kernel versions, requiring local access to exploit.

📋 TL;DR

A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SLUB memory allocator could allow local attackers to cause memory corruption, potentially leading to use-after-free conditions or system crashes. This affects all Linux systems using the vulnerable kernel versions, requiring local access to exploit.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux Kernel

Versions: Versions before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: All Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All default configurations using SLUB allocator are vulnerable. Requires local access to trigger the race condition.

📦 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...

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 →

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

Local privilege escalation to kernel-level code execution, system crashes, or data corruption leading to complete system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability, kernel panics, or denial of service through memory corruption.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper access controls preventing local user exploitation.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to exploit, not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could exploit this to cause system instability or potentially escalate privileges.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires precise timing to trigger the race condition and local system access. No public exploits known as of analysis.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 0515cc9b6b24877f59b222ade704bfaa42caa2a6 and related fixes

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0515cc9b6b24877f59b222ade704bfaa42caa2a6

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

No effective workarounds

all

This is a kernel-level memory management bug that cannot be mitigated without patching.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to minimize attack surface
Implement strict process isolation and resource limits

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version with 'uname -r' and compare against distribution's security advisories for affected versions.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version after update matches patched version from distribution security advisory.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages
System crashes
Memory corruption warnings in dmesg

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel panic events or memory allocation failures in system logs

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-49700

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-416

EPSS Score: 0.04% exploit probability (10.3th percentile)

Published: February 26, 2025

Last Updated: March 25, 2025

🔗 References

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