Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2022-49535

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-26
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.15.181 / 5.18.3 or later.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
No privileges 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: scsi: lpfc: Fix null pointer dereference after failing to issue FLOGI and PLOGI If lpfc_issue_els_flogi() fails and returns non-zero status, the node reference count is decremented to trigger the release of the nodelist structure. However, if there is a prior registration or dev-loss-evt work pending, the node may be released prematurely. When dev-loss-evt completes, the released node is referenced causing a use-after-free null pointer dereference. Similarly, when processing non-zero ELS PLOGI completion status in lpfc_cmpl_els_plogi(), the ndlp flags are checked for a transport registration before triggering node removal. If dev-loss-evt work is pending, the node may be released prematurely and a subsequent call to lpfc_dev_loss_tmo_handler() results in a use after free ndlp dereference. Add test for pending dev-loss before decrementing the node reference count for FLOGI, PLOGI, PRLI, and ADISC handling.

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
How this class of weakness works · CWE-416

Memory is used after it has been freed, so its contents — now potentially attacker-controlled — drive the program's behaviour. With careful heap grooming this becomes code execution. The fix requires disciplined ownership of memory and often a targeted rework of the object lifecycle.

General guidance for the use after free class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

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:< 5.15.181>= 5.16, < 5.18.3

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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 5.15.181 / 5.18.3 or later
Fixed in 5.15.1815.18.3
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux 5.15.181, 5.18.3, or 6.0+ (depending on which branch is appropriate for your deployment)

  1. Identify the current running kernel version using 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version'
  2. If running a distribution kernel (e.g., Red Hat, Ubuntu, SUSE), check with your vendor for the corresponding patched kernel version that includes this fix
  3. For mainline/vanilla kernels, upgrade to a kernel version that includes the fix: Linux 5.15.181 or later for the 5.15 stable branch, Linux 5.18.3 or later for the 5.18 stable branch, or Linux 6.0 or later for the 6.x branches
  4. Apply the upgrade via distribution package manager (e.g., 'apt-get update && apt-get upgrade linux-image' for Debian/Ubuntu, 'yum update kernel' for RHEL/CentOS, or 'zypper update kernel-default' for SUSE)
  5. Reboot the system to load the new kernel
  6. Verify the new kernel version is running with 'uname -r'
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with out-of-tree drivers or specific hardware configurations; ensure backup and test in staging if possible

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 $3,200. Get the upgrade done

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-49535 — 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 sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-49535 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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