CVE-2022-20409Known exploitationPublic exploit

Local privilege escalation via mismatched io_uring task identity

Published Oct 11, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Use after free in Linux Kernel io_uring allows local users with System privileges to gain kernel privileges through asynchronous I/O. io_identity_cow assigns the current submitter's identity instead of the request originator under IORING_SETUP_IOPOLL, so cleanup drops an unacquired reference and frees a live identity. Exploitation requires local System-level execution and multiple tasks sharing a polled ring; successful memory corruption enables kernel-level privilege escalation.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.61%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use after free in Linux Kernel io_uring allows local users with System privileges to gain kernel privileges through asynchronous I/O. io_identity_cow assigns the current submitter's identity instead of the request originator under IORING_SETUP_IOPOLL, so cleanup drops an unacquired reference and frees a live identity. Exploitation requires local System-level execution and multiple tasks sharing a polled ring; successful memory corruption enables kernel-level privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-20409
Published
Oct 11, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 11, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 7, 2023Exploitation reportedPublic Android rooting demonstrations
  3. 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=Android kernel

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Android kernel

Published CVSS scores

6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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