CVE-2022-3110

Local system crash via unchecked allocation failure

Published Dec 14, 2022 · Updated Apr 22, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel through 5.16-rc6 allows local users to crash the system through the r8188eu driver. _rtw_init_xmit_priv ignores a failed hwxmits allocation in rtw_alloc_hwxmits and passes the null pointer to rtw_init_hwxmits. Reachability requires local low-privilege access and the affected staging Realtek USB wireless driver; the documented consequence is a system crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel through 5.16-rc6 allows local users to crash the system through the r8188eu driver. _rtw_init_xmit_priv ignores a failed hwxmits allocation in rtw_alloc_hwxmits and passes the null pointer to rtw_init_hwxmits. Reachability requires local low-privilege access and the affected staging Realtek USB wireless driver; the documented consequence is a system crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-3110
Published
Dec 14, 2022
Updated
Apr 22, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 14, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 22, 2025Record 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 5.16-rc6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Linux 5.16-rc6

Published CVSS scores

5.5CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

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

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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