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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2022-48961

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.15.83 / 6.0.13 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available

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
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: mdio: fix unbalanced fwnode reference count in mdio_device_release() There is warning report about of_node refcount leak while probing mdio device: OF: ERROR: memory leak, expected refcount 1 instead of 2, of_node_get()/of_node_put() unbalanced - destroy cset entry: attach overlay node /spi/soc@0/mdio@710700c0/ethernet@4 In of_mdiobus_register_device(), we increase fwnode refcount by fwnode_handle_get() before associating the of_node with mdio device, but it has never been decreased in normal path. Since that, in mdio_device_release(), it needs to call fwnode_handle_put() in addition instead of calling kfree() directly. After above, just calling mdio_device_free() in the error handle path of of_mdiobus_register_device() is enough to keep the refcount balanced.

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

A detailed technical summary for this CVE is being prepared.

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:>= 4.5, < 5.15.83>= 5.16, < 6.0.13= 6.1

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

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 5.15.83 / 6.0.13 or later
Fixed in 5.15.836.0.13
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

5.15.83 / 6.0.13 / 6.1.1 or later

  1. Upgrade Linux kernel to version 5.15.83 or later if running 5.15.x
  2. Upgrade Linux kernel to version 6.0.13 or later if running 6.0.x
  3. Upgrade Linux kernel to version 6.1.1 or later if running 6.1.x
  4. Alternatively, upgrade to any later stable kernel release (e.g., 6.2, 6.3, etc.)
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require recompiling out-of-tree modules; ensure driver compatibility before upgrading

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

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $1,600. Get the upgrade done

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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-2022-48961 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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