Local privilege escalation via cgroup file race
Published Oct 21, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel memcg allows local users to escalate privileges or crash the host through cgroup v1 event control. memcg_write_event_control() accepts an arbitrary control file descriptor without verifying a regular cgroupfs file, so concurrent rename or removal races d_name and parent accesses against freed dentries. A low-privileged local user needs write access to cgroup.event_control in a reachable cgroup v1 memory hierarchy; successful exploitation compromises the host kernel or triggers an oops or panic.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel memcg allows local users to escalate privileges or crash the host through cgroup v1 event control. memcg_write_event_control() accepts an arbitrary control file descriptor without verifying a regular cgroupfs file, so concurrent rename or removal races d_name and parent accesses against freed dentries. A low-privileged local user needs write access to cgroup.event_control in a reachable cgroup v1 memory hierarchy; successful exploitation compromises the host kernel or triggers an oops or panic.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-48988
- Published
- Oct 21, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 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=3.14
- Affected versionversion=347c4a8747104a945ecced358944e42879176ca5 <0ed074317b835caa6c03bcfa8f133365324673dc
- Affected versionversion=347c4a8747104a945ecced358944e42879176ca5 <35963b31821920908e397146502066f6b032c917
- Affected versionversion=347c4a8747104a945ecced358944e42879176ca5 <4a7ba45b1a435e7097ca0f79a847d0949d0eb088
- Affected versionversion=347c4a8747104a945ecced358944e42879176ca5 <aad8bbd17a1d586005feb9226c2e9cfce1432e13
- Affected versionversion=347c4a8747104a945ecced358944e42879176ca5 <b77600e26fd48727a95ffd50ba1e937efb548125
- Affected versionversion=347c4a8747104a945ecced358944e42879176ca5 <e1ae97624ecf400ea56c238bff23e5cd139df0b8
- Affected versionversion=347c4a8747104a945ecced358944e42879176ca5 <f1f7f36cf682fa59db15e2089039a2eeb58ff2ad
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
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Your stack
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