Kernel-memory disclosure via uncleared saved registers
Published May 1, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Information disclosure in the Linux kernel 4.15 through 6.1-rc4 allows local users to read kernel memory through RISC-V process state. During fork and kernel-thread creation, arch/riscv/kernel/process.c leaves thread_struct.s[12] uncleared, so saved RISC-V registers can carry residual kernel data into user space. Local low-privileged access to a RISC-V system is required; the exposure is limited to residual kernel-memory contents.
Summary
What happened
Information disclosure in the Linux kernel 4.15 through 6.1-rc4 allows local users to read kernel memory through RISC-V process state. During fork and kernel-thread creation, arch/riscv/kernel/process.c leaves thread_struct.s[12] uncleared, so saved RISC-V registers can carry residual kernel data into user space. Local low-privileged access to a RISC-V system is required; the exposure is limited to residual kernel-memory contents.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49852
- Published
- May 1, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1005
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 1, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=4.15
- Affected versionversion=7db91e57a0acde126a162ababfb1e0ab190130cb <358a68f98304b40b201ba5afe94c20355aa3dc68
- Affected versionversion=7db91e57a0acde126a162ababfb1e0ab190130cb <6510c78490c490a6636e48b61eeaa6fb65981f4b
- Affected versionversion=7db91e57a0acde126a162ababfb1e0ab190130cb <c4601d30f7d989b4f354df899ab85b5f7a750d30
- Affected versionversion=7db91e57a0acde126a162ababfb1e0ab190130cb <c5c0b3167537793a7cf936fb240366eefd2fc7fb
- Affected versionversion=7db91e57a0acde126a162ababfb1e0ab190130cb <cc36c7fa5d9384602529ba3eea8c5daee7be4dbc
- Affected versionversion=7db91e57a0acde126a162ababfb1e0ab190130cb <e56d18a976dda653194218df6d40d8122c775712
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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