Kernel memory corruption via unflushed cache lines
Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Memory corruption in PA-RISC cache flushing in Linux 2.6.12 through 5.16.18 and 5.17 through 5.17.1 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory. The flush_user_dcache_range_asm and flush_user_icache_range_asm paths issue fdc and fic instructions for a non-present page; the resulting data TLB fault nullifies the flush and leaves the cache line valid. Low-privileged local access on an HP PA-RISC system is required, and the stale cache line can corrupt memory or interrupt the system.
Summary
What happened
Memory corruption in PA-RISC cache flushing in Linux 2.6.12 through 5.16.18 and 5.17 through 5.17.1 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory. The flush_user_dcache_range_asm and flush_user_icache_range_asm paths issue fdc and fic instructions for a non-present page; the resulting data TLB fault nullifies the flush and leaves the cache line valid. Low-privileged local access on an HP PA-RISC system is required, and the stale cache line can corrupt memory or interrupt the system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49172
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 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.
- 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b3d6adb3a49d82e4e557c5fc16f50c9ff731da5d
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ddca4b82027e2a66333dd40fab21a4beff435c7e
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f839e5f1cef36ce268950c387129b1bfefdaebc9
- Affected versionversion=2.6.12
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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