Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2022-36280
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 · uneditedAn out-of-bounds(OOB) memory access vulnerability was found in vmwgfx driver in drivers/gpu/vmxgfx/vmxgfx_kms.c in GPU component in the Linux kernel with device file '/dev/dri/renderD128 (or Dxxx)'. This flaw allows a local attacker with a user account on the system to gain privilege, causing a denial of service(DoS).
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 confidenceOut-of-bounds memory access vulnerability in the vmwgfx (VMware guest graphics) driver's KMS (Kernel Mode Setting) code in the Linux kernel. The flaw exists in vmxgfx_kms.c and is accessible through /dev/dri/renderDxxx device files, allowing a local unprivileged user to potentially escalate privileges and cause a denial of service.
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
>= 3.2, <= 5.13.0-52
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 11.0CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check kernel version against affected rangeRun 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version' to get the running kernel version. Compare it to the affected range: >= 3.2 and <= 5.13.0-52Affected if The kernel version falls within 3.2 through 5.13.0-52 inclusive
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Verify vmwgfx driver is loadedRun 'lsmod | grep vmwgfx' or check '/sys/module/vmwgfx' directory existence to see if the vmwgfx kernel module is loadedAffected if The vmwgfx module is loaded in the kernel
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Check for vmwgfx DRI device nodesList files in /dev/dri/ - look for renderDxxx or cardxxx device files. Run 'ls -la /dev/dri/' to see device nodesAffected if DRI device files exist under /dev/dri/ (specifically renderDxxx nodes)
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Verify device permissions allow unprivileged accessRun 'ls -la /dev/dri/renderD*' to check ownership and permissions on render nodes. Also check 'cat /proc/$(whoami)/devices' or use 'groups' to see if the current user has accessAffected if Unprivileged users have read/write access to /dev/dri/renderDxxx devices (mode includes 0666 or user is in video/dri group)
A system is affected if it runs a kernel between 3.2 and 5.13.0-52 with the vmwgfx driver loaded and /dev/dri/renderDxxx devices accessible to unprivileged users.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply the upstream kernel patch for CVE-2022-36280 which adds proper bounds checking in the vmwgfx KMS driver to prevent OOB memory access. If upstream patch unavailable, consider disabling the vmwgfx driver or restricting access to /dev/dri/* devices via device cgroups or permissions for untrusted users.
Linux Kernel >= 5.13.0-53, or >= 5.15.x LTS, or >= 6.1.x stable; Debian 11 kernel from updated packages
- 1. Identify the current kernel version using 'uname -r'
- 2. For upstream Linux: Upgrade to kernel version 5.13.0-53 or later, or preferably a newer stable branch such as 5.15.x LTS or 6.1.x
- 3. For Debian 11 (bullseye): Run 'apt update && apt upgrade' to install the latest Debian kernel package which should include the security fix (DSA-5273-1 or subsequent)
- 4. If using a vendor kernel, contact the vendor for the patched kernel version
- 5. Reboot the system after applying the kernel update
- 6. Verify the fix by checking '/sys/class/drm/renderD128/device/version' or confirming the vmwgfx driver loads without errors
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,992.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-36280 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-36280 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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