CVE-2022-49889

Kernel crash via missing per-CPU buffer check

Published May 1, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel tracing ring buffer allows local users to crash the system by closing a per-CPU trace file. On systems whose listed CPU count exceeds the online CPU count, a per-CPU trace file can lack an allocated cpu_buffer, but ring_buffer_wake_waiters() dereferences its missing irq_work during close. Low-privilege local access to the tracing interface is required, and the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel tracing ring buffer allows local users to crash the system by closing a per-CPU trace file. On systems whose listed CPU count exceeds the online CPU count, a per-CPU trace file can lack an allocated cpu_buffer, but ring_buffer_wake_waiters() dereferences its missing irq_work during close. Low-privilege local access to the tracing interface is required, and the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-49889
Published
May 1, 2025
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 1, 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

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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=2475de2bc0de17fb1b24c5e90194f84b5ca70d3e <b5074df412bf3df9d6ce096b6fa03eb1082d05c9
  2. Affected versionversion=5.15.75 <5.15.78
  3. Affected versionversion=5.19.17 <5.20
  4. Affected versionversion=5544f411a4e8bc39e6a444badbac37dd0e0caf0a
  5. Affected versionversion=6.0.3 <6.0.8
  6. Affected versionversion=f3ddb74ad0790030c9592229fb14d8c451f4e9a8 <7433632c9ff68a991bd0bc38cabf354e9d2de410
  7. Affected versionversion=f4f15344110d0b5b8822ac97bc8200e71939c945 <49ca992f6e50d0f46ec9608f44e011cf3121f389

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2475de2bc0de17fb1b24c5e90194f84b5ca70d3e <b5074df412bf3df9d6ce096b6fa03eb1082d05c9; version=5.15.75 <5.15.78; version=5.19.17 <5.20; version=5544f411a4e8bc39e6a444badbac37dd0e0caf0a; version=6.0.3 <6.0.8; version=f3ddb74ad0790030c9592229fb14d8c451f4e9a8 <7433632c9ff68a991bd0bc38cabf354e9d2de410; version=f4f15344110d0b5b8822ac97bc8200e71939c945 <49ca992f6e50d0f46ec9608f44e011cf3121f389

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5CISA-ADPCVSS: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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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

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Your stack

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