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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2022-49685

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-26
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.9.321 / 4.14.286 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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: iio: trigger: sysfs: fix use-after-free on remove Ensure that the irq_work has completed before the trigger is freed. ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in irq_work_run_list Read of size 8 at addr 0000000064702248 by task python3/25 Call Trace: irq_work_run_list irq_work_tick update_process_times tick_sched_handle tick_sched_timer __hrtimer_run_queues hrtimer_interrupt Allocated by task 25: kmem_cache_alloc_trace iio_sysfs_trig_add dev_attr_store sysfs_kf_write kernfs_fop_write_iter new_sync_write vfs_write ksys_write sys_write Freed by task 25: kfree iio_sysfs_trig_remove dev_attr_store sysfs_kf_write kernfs_fop_write_iter new_sync_write vfs_write ksys_write sys_write ==================================================================

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:>= 3.7, < 4.9.321>= 4.10, < 4.14.286>= 4.15, < 4.19.250>= 4.20, < 5.4.202>= 5.5, < 5.10.127>= 5.11, < 5.15.51>= 5.16, < 5.18.8= 5.19

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

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 4.9.321 / 4.14.286 / 4.19.250 or later
Fixed in 4.9.3214.14.2864.19.250
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to kernel 4.9.321+ (for 4.9.x), 4.14.286+ (for 4.14.x), 4.19.250+ (for 4.19.x), or 5.4.202+ (for 5.4.x)

  1. 1. Identify the current running kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. 2. Determine which kernel branch (4.9.x, 4.14.x, 4.19.x, or 5.4.x) your system is based on
  3. 3. Upgrade to the appropriate fixed kernel version: 4.9.321 or later, 4.14.286 or later, 4.19.250 or later, or 5.4.202 or later
  4. 4. For enterprise distributions, apply the vendor's kernel security update containing commit 31ff3309b47d
  5. 5. Reboot the system to load the patched kernel
  6. 6. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version and confirming the iio_sysfs_trig_remove function is no longer vulnerable
Caveat Kernel upgrades may introduce compatibility changes with out-of-tree drivers or custom modules; ensure all kernel modules are compatible with the target version before rebooting

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

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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-2022-49685 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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