Local system crash via stale netdevice access
Published Jul 16, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to crash the system via a concurrent sysfs speed read. The net-sysfs speed_show function calls __ethtool_get_link_ksettings without first verifying that the netdevice remains present, so teardown can leave the driver path dereferencing removed device state. Triggering the panic requires local access to read a network interface's speed attribute while that interface is being removed or the system is shutting down.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to crash the system via a concurrent sysfs speed read. The net-sysfs speed_show function calls __ethtool_get_link_ksettings without first verifying that the netdevice remains present, so teardown can leave the driver path dereferencing removed device state. Triggering the panic requires local access to read a network interface's speed attribute while that interface is being removed or the system is shutting down.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-48850
- Published
- Jul 16, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 16, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=2.6.33
- Affected versionversion=d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065 <081369ad088a76429984483b8a5f7e967a125aad
- Affected versionversion=d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065 <3a79f380b3e10edf6caa9aac90163a5d7a282204
- Affected versionversion=d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065 <4224cfd7fb6523f7a9d1c8bb91bb5df1e38eb624
- Affected versionversion=d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065 <75fc8363227a999e8f3d17e2eb28dce5600dcd3f
- Affected versionversion=d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065 <8879b5313e9fa5e0c6d6812a0d25d83aed0110e2
- Affected versionversion=d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065 <8d5e69d8fbf3a35ab4fbe56b8f092802b43f3ef6
- Affected versionversion=d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065 <a7b9ab04c5932dee7ec95e0abc58b0df350c0dd2
- Affected versionversion=d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065 <d15c9f6e3335002fea1c33bc8f71a705fa96976c
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
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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