CVE-2022-2978

Local privilege escalation via uninitialized NILFS inode pointer

Published Aug 24, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Use-after-free in Linux kernel NILFS2 before 6.0-rc3 allows local users to crash the system or escalate privileges. When security_inode_alloc fails, inode->i_private remains uninitialized, yet nilfs_free_inode can pass it to nilfs_mdt_destroy for release. Triggering requires local low-privileged access and the allocation failure; successful exploitation can panic the kernel or gain kernel privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.24%
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 NILFS2 before 6.0-rc3 allows local users to crash the system or escalate privileges. When security_inode_alloc fails, inode->i_private remains uninitialized, yet nilfs_free_inode can pass it to nilfs_mdt_destroy for release. Triggering requires local low-privileged access and the allocation failure; successful exploitation can panic the kernel or gain kernel privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2978
Published
Aug 24, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 24, 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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=Linux kernel 6.0-rc3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Linux kernel 6.0-rc3

Published CVSS scores

7.8UbuntuCVSS: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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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