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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2022-4842

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 NULL Pointer Dereference in the Linux kernel NTFS3 driver function attr_punch_hole() was found. A local user could use this flaw to crash 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 NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel NTFS3 driver's attr_punch_hole() function. A local user can trigger this flaw to cause a kernel panic, resulting in a system crash and denial of service.

MitigationApply the upstream Linux kernel patch or update to a kernel version containing the fix for CVE-2022-4842. Organizations using NTFS3 should prioritize this update given the trivial local crash exploit.

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:= 6.2

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check the running kernel version
    Run `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to determine the exact kernel version
    Affected if The kernel version is exactly 6.2 (version 6.2.0 without subsequent patch revisions that may contain fixes)
  2. Verify NTFS3 driver availability
    Check if the ntfs3 kernel module exists and is loadable: `modinfo ntfs3` or look in `/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/fs/ntfs3/`
    Affected if The NTFS3 driver is available on the system (the vulnerability only applies if this driver is used)
  3. Check for loaded NTFS3 module
    Run `lsmod | grep ntfs3` to see if the ntfs3 module is currently loaded
    Affected if The ntfs3 module is currently loaded into the kernel
  4. Identify active NTFS mounts using NTFS3
    Run `mount | grep -i ntfs` and check for 'ntfs3' in the output, or check `/proc/mounts` for ntfs3 mount entries
    Affected if Any NTFS filesystem is currently mounted using the ntfs3 driver

A system is affected if it runs Linux kernel version 6.2 and has the NTFS3 driver loaded or is actively mounting NTFS filesystems with NTFS3.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the upstream Linux kernel patch or update to a kernel version containing the fix for CVE-2022-4842. Organizations using NTFS3 should prioritize this update given the trivial local crash exploit.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Linux Kernel 6.3 or later

  1. Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 6.3 or later to obtain the fix for the NULL pointer dereference in attr_punch_hole()
  2. Verify the NTFS3 driver (ntfs3.ko) is loaded and functioning properly after the kernel upgrade
  3. Ensure any systems using NTFS3 driver for mounting NTFS partitions are tested after the upgrade
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require reboots and could introduce compatibility issues with custom modules or specific hardware drivers; ensure backup and test in non-production environment first

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
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,420
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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-2022-4842 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