CVE-2022-2585Public exploit

Local privilege escalation via retained timer references

Published Jan 8, 2024 · Updated Sep 4, 2024

Use-after-free in Linux POSIX CPU timers before 6.0-rc1 allows local users to crash the system or elevate privileges through a threaded exec. When a non-leader thread calls execve, its PID changes, so posix_cpu_timer_del misses armed timers that exit_itimers frees while timer-list references remain. Low-privileged local access is sufficient; later list processing dereferences freed timer memory, enabling a system crash or root privilege escalation.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability1.28%
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 POSIX CPU timers before 6.0-rc1 allows local users to crash the system or elevate privileges through a threaded exec. When a non-leader thread calls execve, its PID changes, so posix_cpu_timer_del misses armed timers that exit_itimers frees while timer-list references remain. Low-privileged local access is sufficient; later list processing dereferences freed timer memory, enabling a system crash or root privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2585
Published
Jan 8, 2024
Updated
Sep 4, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 8, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 4, 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=0 <6.0~rc1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=0 <6.0~rc1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.3UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
8.4SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8Amazon LinuxCVSS: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 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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