Kernel memory disclosure via transient console-index underflow
Published Jul 16, 2024 · Updated May 23, 2026
Integer underflow in Linux virtual-terminal handling allows local users to expose kernel memory through a crafted VT_SETACTIVATE ioctl. In vt_setactivate, array_index_nospec sanitizes vsa.console before the code subtracts one, so a transient zero becomes an underflowed array index. Access to a permitted local virtual terminal is required; SUSE characterizes the consequence as confidentiality loss, while NVD characterizes it as service interruption.
Summary
What happened
Integer underflow in Linux virtual-terminal handling allows local users to expose kernel memory through a crafted VT_SETACTIVATE ioctl. In vt_setactivate, array_index_nospec sanitizes vsa.console before the code subtracts one, so a transient zero becomes an underflowed array index. Access to a permitted local virtual terminal is required; SUSE characterizes the consequence as confidentiality loss, while NVD characterizes it as service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-48804
- Published
- Jul 16, 2024
- Updated
- May 23, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-191
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 16, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 23, 2026Record 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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- Affected versionversion=0ec459ec174031fad02a55e622cf2fc0d2e75a25 <830c5aa302ec16b4ee641aec769462c37f802c90
- Affected versionversion=1aa698b65186c13ed775896ed1dfec7c26c73d60
- Affected versionversion=3.16.62 <3.17
- Affected versionversion=4.14.73 <4.14.267
- Affected versionversion=4.18.11 <4.19
- Affected versionversion=4.19
- Affected versionversion=4334a6ae867aa12f01c1755368fd0de4c926ac75 <2a45a6bd1e6d651770aafff57ab3e1d3bb0b42e0
- Affected versionversion=4.4.159 <4.5
- Affected versionversion=458697ab18b512445ac273ce68a9f8fd623fc0a3
- Affected versionversion=4.9.130 <4.9.302
- Affected versionversion=52ef74c21c277e50de771fc722d814a830b3036b
- Affected versionversion=e97267cb4d1ee01ca0929638ec0fcbb0904f903d <170325aba4608bde3e7d21c9c19b7bc266ac0885
- Affected versionversion=e97267cb4d1ee01ca0929638ec0fcbb0904f903d <61cc70d9e8ef5b042d4ed87994d20100ec8896d9
- Affected versionversion=e97267cb4d1ee01ca0929638ec0fcbb0904f903d <6550bdf52846f85a2a3726a5aa0c7c4399f2fc02
- Affected versionversion=e97267cb4d1ee01ca0929638ec0fcbb0904f903d <778302ca09498b448620edd372dc908bebf80bdf
- Affected versionversion=e97267cb4d1ee01ca0929638ec0fcbb0904f903d <ae3d57411562260ee3f4fd5e875f410002341104
- Affected versionversion=e97267cb4d1ee01ca0929638ec0fcbb0904f903d <ffe54289b02e9c732d6f04c8ebbe3b2d90d32118
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Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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