System crash via NTFS3 hole punching
Published Jan 12, 2023 · Updated Apr 8, 2025
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux Kernel NTFS3 driver before 6.2-rc1 allows local users to crash the system. attr_punch_hole() dereferences a null pointer when hole punching is requested for a sparse or compressed file on a mounted NTFS3 filesystem. Any local user able to invoke PUNCH_HOLE against such a file can trigger a full host crash, with no reported data-read or data-write impact.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux Kernel NTFS3 driver before 6.2-rc1 allows local users to crash the system. attr_punch_hole() dereferences a null pointer when hole punching is requested for a sparse or compressed file on a mounted NTFS3 filesystem. Any local user able to invoke PUNCH_HOLE against such a file can trigger a full host crash, with no reported data-read or data-write impact.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-4842
- Published
- Jan 12, 2023
- Updated
- Apr 8, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 8, 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.
- Affected versionversion=Linux kernel 6.2-rc1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- NTFS3 PUNCH_HOLE crash reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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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