Kernel memory corruption via stale skb access
Published May 1, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel network scheduling allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through a configured RED qdisc hierarchy. red_enqueue passes an skb to qdisc_enqueue, which can consume and free it, and then incorrectly reads skb->len while updating backlog accounting. Local low-privileged access is required; successful exploitation can disclose or alter kernel data and interrupt the system.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel network scheduling allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through a configured RED qdisc hierarchy. red_enqueue passes an skb to qdisc_enqueue, which can consume and free it, and then incorrectly reads skb->len while updating backlog accounting. Local low-privileged access is required; successful exploitation can disclose or alter kernel data and interrupt the system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49921
- Published
- May 1, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=4.4.163 <4.5
- Affected versionversion=4.7
- Affected versionversion=ab0b3b9dbf559a5633d460e748144697bd2d3aa3
- Affected versionversion=d7f4f332f082c4d4ba53582f902ed6b44fd6f45e <170e5317042c302777ed6d59fdb84af9b0219d4e
- Affected versionversion=d7f4f332f082c4d4ba53582f902ed6b44fd6f45e <52e0429471976785c155bfbf51d80990c6cd46e2
- Affected versionversion=d7f4f332f082c4d4ba53582f902ed6b44fd6f45e <5960b9081baca85cc7dcb14aec1de85999ea9d36
- Affected versionversion=d7f4f332f082c4d4ba53582f902ed6b44fd6f45e <795afe0b9bb6c915f0299a8e309936519be01619
- Affected versionversion=d7f4f332f082c4d4ba53582f902ed6b44fd6f45e <8bdc2acd420c6f3dd1f1c78750ec989f02a1e2b9
- Affected versionversion=d7f4f332f082c4d4ba53582f902ed6b44fd6f45e <a238cdcf2bdc72207c74375fc8be13ee549ca9db
- Affected versionversion=d7f4f332f082c4d4ba53582f902ed6b44fd6f45e <e877f8fa49fbccc63cb2df2e9179bddc695b825a
- Affected versionversion=d7f4f332f082c4d4ba53582f902ed6b44fd6f45e <fc4b50adb400ee5ec527a04073174e8e73a139fa
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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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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