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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2022-2978

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-08-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.9.331 / 4.14.296 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A flaw use after free in the Linux kernel NILFS file system was found in the way user triggers function security_inode_alloc to fail with following call to function nilfs_mdt_destroy. A local user could use this flaw to crash the system or potentially escalate their privileges on the system.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's NILFS file system. When a user triggers the security_inode_alloc function to fail followed by a call to nilfs_mdt_destroy, memory is freed but subsequently accessed, leading to potential system crash or local privilege escalation.

MitigationApply the upstream kernel patch for CVE-2022-2978 or update to a kernel version containing the fix. If NILFS is not required, consider disabling it to reduce attack surface.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 2.6.12, < 4.9.331>= 4.10, < 4.14.296>= 4.15, < 4.19.262>= 4.20, < 5.4.218>= 5.5, < 5.10.148>= 5.11, < 5.15.73>= 5.16, < 5.19.15>= 6.0, < 6.0.1
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check kernel version against affected ranges
    Run 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version' to get the running kernel version, then compare it to the affected version ranges: < 4.9.331, >= 4.10 and < 4.14.296, >= 4.15 and < 4.19.262, >= 4.20 and < 5.4.218, >= 5.5 and < 5.10.148, >= 5.11 and < 5.15.73, >= 5.16 and < 5.19.15, >= 6.0 and < 6.0.1
    Affected if The kernel version falls within any of the listed affected ranges and NILFS is in use
  2. Verify if NILFS kernel module is loaded
    Run 'lsmod | grep nilfs' to check if the nilfs2 kernel module is currently loaded
    Affected if The nilfs2 module is loaded and the kernel version is in the affected range
  3. Check if NILFS is compiled into the kernel
    Check /boot/config-$(uname -r) or /proc/config.gz for CONFIG_NILFS2FS=m or CONFIG_NILFS2FS=y, or run 'grep -i nilfs /proc/filesystems' to see if nilfs2 is listed
    Affected if NILFS filesystem support is enabled in the kernel configuration and the kernel version is in the affected range
  4. Detect mounted NILFS filesystems
    Run 'mount | grep nilfs' or 'cat /proc/mounts' to list all currently mounted filesystems and look for nilfs2 type entries
    Affected if Any nilfs2 filesystems are currently mounted and the kernel version is in the affected range
  5. Check Debian-specific kernel package version
    For Debian 10 systems, run 'dpkg -l | grep linux-image' to identify the installed kernel package version
    Affected if Running Debian 10.0 with a kernel version that matches the affected ranges and NILFS is available

A system is affected if it runs a kernel version within the listed affected ranges AND has NILFS filesystem support enabled or in use, as the use-after-free only triggers when nilfs_mdt_destroy is called after a failed security_inode_alloc.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.9.331 / 4.14.296 / 4.19.262 or later
Fixed in 4.9.3314.14.2964.19.262
Interim mitigation

Apply the upstream kernel patch for CVE-2022-2978 or update to a kernel version containing the fix. If NILFS is not required, consider disabling it to reduce attack surface.

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 4.9.331 / 4.14.296 / 4.19.262 / 5.4.218 or later (depending on which branch you are on); Debian 10.12+ kernel

  1. Identify the currently running kernel version with `uname -r`
  2. For Debian 10 systems: Run `apt update && apt install linux-image-$(uname -r | sed 's/.*-.*-/-/')` to install the latest Debian-packaged kernel
  3. Alternatively, obtain the upstream fixed kernel: 4.9.331+, 4.14.296+, 4.19.262+, or 5.4.218+ from kernel.org or your distribution
  4. If building from source, ensure NILFS2 filesystem support is a module (not built-in) to allow safer management
  5. After kernel installation, reboot the system to load the fixed kernel: `systemctl reboot`
  6. Verify the system is running a fixed version with `uname -r` and confirm the version is >= the appropriate fixed release for your branch
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require rebuild of out-of-tree modules; ensure any proprietary drivers (e.g., NVIDIA, VirtualBox) are compatible with the new kernel before rebooting

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-2978 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data