CVE-2022-3238

Local privilege escalation via double-freed mount options

Published Nov 14, 2022 · Updated May 1, 2025

Double free in the Linux Kernel NTFS3 subsystem through 6.1-rc2 allows local users to crash the system or escalate privileges. Concurrent remount and unmount paths both call put_mount_options and free the same nls_name character-set allocation. Triggering the flaw requires an NTFS3 mount configured with a character set and CAP_SYS_ADMIN, and successful heap manipulation grants root credentials.

CVSS severity7.8
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

Double free in the Linux Kernel NTFS3 subsystem through 6.1-rc2 allows local users to crash the system or escalate privileges. Concurrent remount and unmount paths both call put_mount_options and free the same nls_name character-set allocation. Triggering the flaw requires an NTFS3 mount configured with a character set and CAP_SYS_ADMIN, and successful heap manipulation grants root credentials.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-3238
Published
Nov 14, 2022
Updated
May 1, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-459, CWE-415, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 14, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 1, 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 kernel 6.1-rc2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Linux kernel 6.1-rc2

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8CISA-ADPCVSS: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.

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-459Incomplete Cleanup
CWE-415Double 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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