CVE-2022-3239

Local privilege escalation via uninitialized kernel refcount

Published Sep 19, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Use-after-free in Linux Kernel 5.18-rc1 allows local users to crash the system or potentially escalate privileges via Empia 28xx TV cards. In em28xx_usb_probe(), em28xx_init_dev() can call kref_get before the device or duplicate device refcount is initialized, leaving a stale reference and enabling use-after-free. The trigger requires local access to the Empia 28xx video4linux driver; exploitation can crash the kernel and may provide privilege escalation.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.25%
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 5.18-rc1 allows local users to crash the system or potentially escalate privileges via Empia 28xx TV cards. In em28xx_usb_probe(), em28xx_init_dev() can call kref_get before the device or duplicate device refcount is initialized, leaving a stale reference and enabling use-after-free. The trigger requires local access to the Empia 28xx video4linux driver; exploitation can crash the kernel and may provide privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-3239
Published
Sep 19, 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. Sep 19, 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=Linux kernel 5.18-rc1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Linux kernel 5.18-rc1

Published CVSS scores

7.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NVDCVSS: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 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-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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