CVE-2022-49441

System hang via printk lock inversion

Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026

Improper locking in the Linux kernel TTY subsystem allows local users to hang the system by triggering an allocation failure in pty_write(). The function calls kmalloc() while holding tty_port->lock; an allocation-error printk() can acquire console_owner through a circular lock chain. Low-privileged local access and an allocation failure are required, and successful exploitation interrupts availability without disclosing or modifying data.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper locking in the Linux kernel TTY subsystem allows local users to hang the system by triggering an allocation failure in pty_write(). The function calls kmalloc() while holding tty_port->lock; an allocation-error printk() can acquire console_owner through a circular lock chain. Low-privileged local access and an allocation failure are required, and successful exploitation interrupts availability without disclosing or modifying data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-49441
Published
Feb 26, 2025
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 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=3.18.118 <3.19
  2. Affected versionversion=4.14.60 <4.14.283
  3. Affected versionversion=4.17.12 <4.18
  4. Affected versionversion=4.18
  5. Affected versionversion=4.4.146 <4.5
  6. Affected versionversion=4.9.117 <4.9.318
  7. Affected versionversion=60c4e8db32815474bfaeabe888ebb14e698caea1
  8. Affected versionversion=6d9cd12792270773fab9e5a129daff328d61ef9e
  9. Affected versionversion=6dbfa9b5ae65063cd61dc7fa11332e00bb794d8b
  10. Affected versionversion=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <04ee31678c128a6cc7bb057ea189a8624ba5a314
  11. Affected versionversion=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <0bcf44903ef4df742dcada86ccaedd25374ffb50
  12. Affected versionversion=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <18ca0d55e8639b911df8aae1b47598b13f9acded
  13. Affected versionversion=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <3219ac364ac3d8d30771612a6010f1e0b7fa0a28
  14. Affected versionversion=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <6b9dbedbe3499fef862c4dff5217cf91f34e43b3
  15. Affected versionversion=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <9834b13e8b962caa28fbcf1f422dd82413da4ede
  16. Affected versionversion=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <b3c974501d0c32258ae0e04e5cc3fb92383b40f6
  17. Affected versionversion=d83904cb2eb2c4d937eaf15032214b0578f25099 <4af21b12a60ed2d3642284f4f85b42d7dc6ac246
  18. Affected versionversion=deb1feaad03a78b545c949e54582ae57b3c56982 <4c253caf9264d2aa47ee806a87986dd8eb91a5d9

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.18.118 <3.19; version=4.14.60 <4.14.283; version=4.17.12 <4.18; version=4.18; version=4.4.146 <4.5; version=4.9.117 <4.9.318; version=60c4e8db32815474bfaeabe888ebb14e698caea1; version=6d9cd12792270773fab9e5a129daff328d61ef9e; version=6dbfa9b5ae65063cd61dc7fa11332e00bb794d8b; version=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <04ee31678c128a6cc7bb057ea189a8624ba5a314; version=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <0bcf44903ef4df742dcada86ccaedd25374ffb50; version=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <18ca0d55e8639b911df8aae1b47598b13f9acded; version=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <3219ac364ac3d8d30771612a6010f1e0b7fa0a28; version=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <6b9dbedbe3499fef862c4dff5217cf91f34e43b3; version=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <9834b13e8b962caa28fbcf1f422dd82413da4ede; version=b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff <b3c974501d0c32258ae0e04e5cc3fb92383b40f6; version=d83904cb2eb2c4d937eaf15032214b0578f25099 <4af21b12a60ed2d3642284f4f85b42d7dc6ac246; version=deb1feaad03a78b545c949e54582ae57b3c56982 <4c253caf9264d2aa47ee806a87986dd8eb91a5d9

Published CVSS scores

5.5NISTCVSS: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-667Improper Locking
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo