CVE-2022-1998

System crash via fanotify stale file descriptor

Published Jun 9, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Use-after-free in Linux kernel 5.13 through 5.17-rc2 allows local users to crash the system through a fanotify error path. In copy_event_to_user(), failure of copy_info_records_to_user() wrongly releases a file after fd_install() has exposed its descriptor, leaving a stale descriptor-table entry. The path requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN in the initial user namespace, effectively root, and the grounded consequence is a system crash rather than lower-privileged escalation.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Linux kernel 5.13 through 5.17-rc2 allows local users to crash the system through a fanotify error path. In copy_event_to_user(), failure of copy_info_records_to_user() wrongly releases a file after fd_install() has exposed its descriptor, leaving a stale descriptor-table entry. The path requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN in the initial user namespace, effectively root, and the grounded consequence is a system crash rather than lower-privileged escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-1998
Published
Jun 9, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 9, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Linux kernel 5.17-rc3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Linux kernel 5.17-rc3

Published CVSS scores

7.8CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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