CVE-2022-49939 – This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the L... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-49939?

CVE-2022-49939 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (HIGH). This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's binder IPC subsystem that allows local attackers to potentially crash the system or execute arbitrary code. It affects Linux systems using binder IPC, primarily Android devices and Linux distributions with binder enabled. The vulnerability occurs due to a race condition during reference cleanup when a process is terminating.

📋 TL;DR

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's binder IPC subsystem that allows local attackers to potentially crash the system or execute arbitrary code. It affects Linux systems using binder IPC, primarily Android devices and Linux distributions with binder enabled. The vulnerability occurs due to a race condition during reference cleanup when a process is terminating.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

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

Operating Systems: Linux distributions with binder enabled, Android

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with binder IPC enabled. Most Android devices are affected. Some Linux distributions may have binder disabled by default.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Local privilege escalation to kernel-level code execution, potentially leading to full system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel panic or system crash causing denial of service.

🟢

If Mitigated

System remains stable with no impact if patched or binder IPC is disabled.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local vulnerability requiring local access to exploit.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users with shell access could potentially exploit this vulnerability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires local access and knowledge of binder IPC internals. Race conditions can be challenging to reliably exploit.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 06e5b43ca4dab06a92bf4c2f33766e6fb11b880a, 229f47603dd306bc0eb1a831439adb8e48bb0eae, 30d0901b307f27d36b2655fb3048cf31ee0e89c0, 603a47f2ae56bf68288784d3c0a8c5b8e0a827ed, 9629f2dfdb1dad294b468038ff8e161e94d0b609

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/06e5b43ca4dab06a92bf4c2f33766e6fb11b880a

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For Android devices, apply vendor security updates. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable binder IPC

linux

Disable binder IPC subsystem if not required

echo "blacklist binder" > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-binder.conf
rmmod binder

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to systems with binder enabled
Implement strict process isolation and containerization to limit impact

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if binder module is loaded: lsmod | grep binder && uname -r

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is after fix commits and check dmesg for binder-related errors

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
KASAN use-after-free reports in dmesg
Binder-related crash logs

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("KASAN" OR "use-after-free" OR "binder")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-49939

CVSS v3 Score: 7.0 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-362

EPSS Score: 0.01% exploit probability (1.2th percentile)

Published: June 18, 2025

Last Updated: November 14, 2025

🔗 References

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