CVE-2022-49016

Service interruption via leaked firmware-node references

Published Oct 21, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Memory leak in the MDIO bus code of Linux 5.14 and later affected branches allows local users to exhaust kernel memory. The fwnode_mdiobus_phy_device_register() path acquires a non-ACPI firmware-node reference, but phy_device_release() fails to release it when the PHY device is freed normally. Triggering requires the affected non-ACPI firmware-node PHY lifecycle; retained references consume memory and can interrupt service.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in the MDIO bus code of Linux 5.14 and later affected branches allows local users to exhaust kernel memory. The fwnode_mdiobus_phy_device_register() path acquires a non-ACPI firmware-node reference, but phy_device_release() fails to release it when the PHY device is freed normally. Triggering requires the affected non-ACPI firmware-node PHY lifecycle; retained references consume memory and can interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-49016
Published
Oct 21, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 21, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.14
  2. Affected versionversion=bc1bee3b87ee48bd97ef7fd306445132ba2041b0 <2708b357440427d6a9fee667eb7b8307f4625adc
  3. Affected versionversion=bc1bee3b87ee48bd97ef7fd306445132ba2041b0 <543d917f691ab06885ee779c862065899eaa4251
  4. Affected versionversion=bc1bee3b87ee48bd97ef7fd306445132ba2041b0 <cdde1560118f82498fc9e9a7c1ef7f0ef7755891

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.14; version=bc1bee3b87ee48bd97ef7fd306445132ba2041b0 <2708b357440427d6a9fee667eb7b8307f4625adc; version=bc1bee3b87ee48bd97ef7fd306445132ba2041b0 <543d917f691ab06885ee779c862065899eaa4251; version=bc1bee3b87ee48bd97ef7fd306445132ba2041b0 <cdde1560118f82498fc9e9a7c1ef7f0ef7755891

Published CVSS scores

5.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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