CVE-2022-23090Public exploit

Local root escalation via AIO credential refcount overflow

Published Feb 15, 2024 · Updated Mar 28, 2025

Use-after-free in the FreeBSD kernel allows local users to gain root privileges through crafted asynchronous I/O requests. aio_aqueue retains the calling thread's ucred reference when queueing fails, so repeated failures wrap the reference count and permit premature credential reuse. An unprivileged local process on an affected release can reach this error path and replace its live credential with a forged root credential.

CVSS severity7.7
High
EPSS probability0.22%
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 the FreeBSD kernel allows local users to gain root privileges through crafted asynchronous I/O requests. aio_aqueue retains the calling thread's ucred reference when queueing fails, so repeated failures wrap the reference count and permit premature credential reuse. An unprivileged local process on an affected release can reach this error path and replace its live credential with a forged root credential.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-23090
Published
Feb 15, 2024
Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Vendor
The FreeBSD Project
Product
FreeBSD
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 15, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 28, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=12.3-RELEASE <p6
  2. Affected versionversion=13.0 <13.0_p12
  3. Affected versionversion=13.0-RELEASE <p12
  4. Affected versionversion=13.1 <13.1_p1
  5. Affected versionversion=13.1-RELEASE <p1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The FreeBSD Project · FreeBSDversion=12.3-RELEASE <p6; version=13.0 <13.0_p12; version=13.0-RELEASE <p12; version=13.1 <13.1_p1; version=13.1-RELEASE <p1

Published CVSS scores

7.0NetAppCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.7CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
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.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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