CVE-2022-49257

Local system crash via NULL page cleanup

Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel watch queue allows local users to crash the system through a watch queue resize request. In watch_queue_set_size(), error cleanup calls __free_page() for NULL buffer-page slots after only some requested pages were allocated. A low-privileged local account must reach the partial-allocation cleanup path; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash and service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel watch queue allows local users to crash the system through a watch queue resize request. In watch_queue_set_size(), error cleanup calls __free_page() for NULL buffer-page slots after only some requested pages were allocated. A low-privileged local account must reach the partial-allocation cleanup path; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash and service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-49257
Published
Feb 26, 2025
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

  1. Feb 26, 2025CVE 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.8
  2. Affected versionversion=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <112a2f9b0a8457794095a0450598f150724ec456
  3. Affected versionversion=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <5ae75b4ed30322b42abaa75ef1b784addfdb7dc9
  4. Affected versionversion=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <695c47cea02b9101e2fc2e7d36d552128592b347
  5. Affected versionversion=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <a635415a064e77bcfbf43da413fd9dfe0bbed9cb
  6. Affected versionversion=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <b6f5ad3e45d19f9c4ee3e8a2aff829f28d68591d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.8; version=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <112a2f9b0a8457794095a0450598f150724ec456; version=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <5ae75b4ed30322b42abaa75ef1b784addfdb7dc9; version=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <695c47cea02b9101e2fc2e7d36d552128592b347; version=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <a635415a064e77bcfbf43da413fd9dfe0bbed9cb; version=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <b6f5ad3e45d19f9c4ee3e8a2aff829f28d68591d

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5SUSECVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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