Kernel crash via stale ftrace direct-function entry
Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Denial of service in Linux kernel ftrace before 5.19 allows local users to crash the kernel through repeated BPF tracing. A failed register_ftrace_direct call leaves its entry in the direct_functions hash, so a second lookup dereferences stale state and causes a general protection fault. A livepatch must already cover the traced function, and the user must be permitted to attach the BPF tracing program; the consequence is limited to a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in Linux kernel ftrace before 5.19 allows local users to crash the kernel through repeated BPF tracing. A failed register_ftrace_direct call leaves its entry in the direct_functions hash, so a second lookup dereferences stale state and causes a general protection fault. A livepatch must already cover the traced function, and the user must be permitted to attach the BPF tracing program; the consequence is limited to a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49402
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- 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=5.5
- Affected versionversion=763e34e74bb7d5c316015e2e39fcc8520bfd071c <7d54c15cb89a29a5f59e5ffc9ee62e6591769ef1
- Affected versionversion=763e34e74bb7d5c316015e2e39fcc8520bfd071c <805e87af946d8d2954171361e64d143ff37a441b
- Affected versionversion=763e34e74bb7d5c316015e2e39fcc8520bfd071c <82c888e51c2176a06f8b4541cf748ee81aac6e7e
- Affected versionversion=763e34e74bb7d5c316015e2e39fcc8520bfd071c <a0392833a178cf109a57c2a9d4d531bdfc6cd98f
- Affected versionversion=763e34e74bb7d5c316015e2e39fcc8520bfd071c <cae2978d6907ef2c08b9b15f704e783f7c284713
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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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