Kernel panic via misclassified vmalloc addresses
Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Improper address validation in Linux allows local users on affected PowerPC systems to trigger a kernel panic through an ethtool ioctl. virt_addr_valid() treats vmalloc addresses that alias valid page-frame numbers as valid low-memory addresses, causing hardened usercopy to reject a vmalloc-backed copy and abort the kernel. Reachability requires a 32-bit or 64-bit Book3E PowerPC kernel and local ioctl access; the demonstrated consequence is a system crash, not memory disclosure.
Summary
What happened
Improper address validation in Linux allows local users on affected PowerPC systems to trigger a kernel panic through an ethtool ioctl. virt_addr_valid() treats vmalloc addresses that alias valid page-frame numbers as valid low-memory addresses, causing hardened usercopy to reject a vmalloc-backed copy and abort the kernel. Reachability requires a 32-bit or 64-bit Book3E PowerPC kernel and local ioctl access; the demonstrated consequence is a system crash, not memory disclosure.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49067
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 26, 2025CVE 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?
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- Affected versionversion=4.4
- Affected versionversion=ffda09a9941c18d9f08d1176d55588d505f62912 <a3727c25eacd7e437c4f560957fa3a376fe93e6b
- Affected versionversion=ffda09a9941c18d9f08d1176d55588d505f62912 <cbc065efcba000ad8f615f506ebe61b6d3c5145b
- Affected versionversion=ffda09a9941c18d9f08d1176d55588d505f62912 <d36febbcd537fcc50284e8b89609632d0146529f
- Affected versionversion=ffda09a9941c18d9f08d1176d55588d505f62912 <deab81144d5a043f42804207fb76cfbd8a806978
- Affected versionversion=ffda09a9941c18d9f08d1176d55588d505f62912 <fddb88bd266f4513abab7c36bca98935c9148a98
- Affected versionversion=ffda09a9941c18d9f08d1176d55588d505f62912 <ffa0b64e3be58519ae472ea29a1a1ad681e32f48
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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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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