Local kernel crash via extcon initialization race
Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel extcon subsystem allows local users to crash the kernel through a timed sysfs read. The extcon registration path exposes sysfs attributes before dev_set_drvdata stores the extcon_dev pointer, so state_show can fetch NULL and dereference it. Exploitation requires local access during the narrow device-registration interval, and a successful race produces a kernel Oops that interrupts the system.
Summary
What happened
NULL-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel extcon subsystem allows local users to crash the kernel through a timed sysfs read. The extcon registration path exposes sysfs attributes before dev_set_drvdata stores the extcon_dev pointer, so state_show can fetch NULL and dereference it. Exploitation requires local access during the narrow device-registration interval, and a successful race produces a kernel Oops that interrupts the system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49308
- 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=3.5
- Affected versionversion=de55d8716ac50a356cea736c29bb7db5ac3d0190 <033ec4e7e59ae5e1ef1e8c10bc6552926044ed1c
- Affected versionversion=de55d8716ac50a356cea736c29bb7db5ac3d0190 <35ff1ac55d301efb3f467cf5426faaeb3452994b
- Affected versionversion=de55d8716ac50a356cea736c29bb7db5ac3d0190 <368e68ad6da4317fc4170e8d92b51c13d1bfe7a7
- Affected versionversion=de55d8716ac50a356cea736c29bb7db5ac3d0190 <5dcc2afe716d69f5112ce035cb14f007461ff189
- Affected versionversion=de55d8716ac50a356cea736c29bb7db5ac3d0190 <6e721f3ad0535b24f19a62420f4da95212cf069c
- Affected versionversion=de55d8716ac50a356cea736c29bb7db5ac3d0190 <abf3b222614f49f98e606fccdd269161c0d70204
- Affected versionversion=de55d8716ac50a356cea736c29bb7db5ac3d0190 <cb81ea998c461868d1168411a867d8ffee12f23f
- Affected versionversion=de55d8716ac50a356cea736c29bb7db5ac3d0190 <d472c78cc82999d07bd09193a6718016ce9cd386
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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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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