CVE-2022-49416

Kernel memory corruption via freed channel context

Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux mac80211 allows physically proximate attackers to corrupt kernel memory through crafted CSA frames. The ieee80211_vif_use_reserved_reassign function frees old_ctx when the replacement state is REPLACE_NONE, but ieee80211_vif_use_reserved_context later dereferences that freed channel-context object. The target must be an associated mac80211 station that automatically processes an adjacent attacker’s CSA beacon or action frame; exploitation can panic the kernel or enable kernel memory read, write, and control-flow hijacking.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Linux mac80211 allows physically proximate attackers to corrupt kernel memory through crafted CSA frames. The ieee80211_vif_use_reserved_reassign function frees old_ctx when the replacement state is REPLACE_NONE, but ieee80211_vif_use_reserved_context later dereferences that freed channel-context object. The target must be an associated mac80211 station that automatically processes an adjacent attacker’s CSA beacon or action frame; exploitation can panic the kernel or enable kernel memory read, write, and control-flow hijacking.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-49416
Published
Feb 26, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1203
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=3.17
  2. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <265bec4779a38b65e86a25120370f200822dfa76
  3. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <2965c4cdf7ad9ce0796fac5e57debb9519ea721e
  4. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <4ba81e794f0fad6234f644c2da1ae14d5b95e1c4
  5. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <4f05a9e15edcdf5b97e0d86ab6ecd5f187289f6c
  6. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <6118bbdf69f4718b02d26bbcf2e497eb66004331
  7. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <82c8e7bbdd06c7ed58e22450cc5b37f33a25bb2c
  8. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <88cc8f963febe192d6ded9df7217f92f380b449a
  9. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <9f1e5cc85ad77e52f54049a94db0407445ae2a34
  10. Affected versionversion=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <b79110f2bf6022e60e590d2e094728a8eec3e79e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.17; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <265bec4779a38b65e86a25120370f200822dfa76; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <2965c4cdf7ad9ce0796fac5e57debb9519ea721e; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <4ba81e794f0fad6234f644c2da1ae14d5b95e1c4; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <4f05a9e15edcdf5b97e0d86ab6ecd5f187289f6c; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <6118bbdf69f4718b02d26bbcf2e497eb66004331; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <82c8e7bbdd06c7ed58e22450cc5b37f33a25bb2c; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <88cc8f963febe192d6ded9df7217f92f380b449a; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <9f1e5cc85ad77e52f54049a94db0407445ae2a34; version=5bcae31d9cb1ebfad3ad5a3eea04c8cdc329a04f <b79110f2bf6022e60e590d2e094728a8eec3e79e

Published CVSS scores

7.7UbuntuCVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
7.8CISA ADP VulnrichmentCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

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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