Local denial of service via firmware-upload memory leak
Published Jun 18, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Memory leak in the Linux kernel 5.19 through 5.19.7 allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through firmware-upload teardown. firmware_upload_register() allocates a fw_upload structure, but fw_dev_release() omits the matching release when the firmware-upload device is removed. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a driver using the firmware-upload API; repeated teardown can interrupt service without exposing or altering data.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in the Linux kernel 5.19 through 5.19.7 allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through firmware-upload teardown. firmware_upload_register() allocates a fw_upload structure, but fw_dev_release() omits the matching release when the firmware-upload device is removed. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a driver using the firmware-upload API; repeated teardown can interrupt service without exposing or altering data.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49949
- Published
- Jun 18, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-401, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 18, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.19
- Affected versionversion=97730bbb242cde22b7140acd202ffd88823886c9 <789bba82f63c3e81dce426ba457fc7905b30ac6e
- Affected versionversion=97730bbb242cde22b7140acd202ffd88823886c9 <baf92485d111be828e1ab84a995515b604b938e5
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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