Vulnerability · Published May 1, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2022-49890capabilities: fix potential memleak on error path from vfs_getxattr_alloc()

Medium 5.5

In plain English

A medium-severity memory leak in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 12% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 87.7% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: capabilities: fix potential memleak on error path from vfs_getxattr_alloc() In cap_inode_getsecurity(), we will use vfs_getxattr_alloc() to complete the memory allocation of tmpbuf, if we have completed the memory allocation of tmpbuf, but failed to call handler->get(...), there will be a memleak in below logic: |-- ret = (int)vfs_getxattr_alloc(mnt_userns, ...) | /* ^^^ alloc for tmpbuf */ |-- value = krealloc(*xattr_value, error + 1, flags) | /* ^^^ alloc memory */ |-- error = handler->get(handler, ...) | /* error! */ |-- *xattr_value = value | /* xattr_value is &tmpbuf (memory leak!) */ So we will try to free(tmpbuf) after vfs_getxattr_alloc() fails to fix it. [PM: subject line and backtrace tweaks]

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.0.8-1DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49890
Debian:13linux6.0.8-1DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49890
Debian:14linux6.0.8-1DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux5.15.0-60.66UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws5.15.0-1030.34UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure5.15.0-1033.40UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde5.15.0-1033.40.1UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp5.15.0-1029.36UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gke5.15.0-1027.32UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gkeop5.15.0-1015.19UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm5.15.0-1025.28UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iotg5.15.0-1025.30UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-kvm5.15.0-1028.33UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency5.15.0-60.66UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia5.15.0-1017.17UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle5.15.0-1029.35UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-raspi5.15.0-1024.26UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-49890

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 8db6c34f1dbc8e06aa016a9b829b06902c3e1340 – before 6bb00eb21c0fbf18e5d3538c9ff0cf63fd0ace858db6c34f1dbc8e06aa016a9b829b06902c3e1340 – before 90577bcc01c4188416a47269f8433f70502abe988db6c34f1dbc8e06aa016a9b829b06902c3e1340 – before 0c3e6288da650d1ec911a259c77bc2d88e4986038db6c34f1dbc8e06aa016a9b829b06902c3e1340 – before cdf01c807e974048c43c7fd3ca574f6086a579068db6c34f1dbc8e06aa016a9b829b06902c3e1340 – before 2de8eec8afb75792440b8900a01d52b8f6742fd18db6c34f1dbc8e06aa016a9b829b06902c3e1340 – before 7480aeff0093d8c54377553ec6b31110bea37b4d8db6c34f1dbc8e06aa016a9b829b06902c3e1340 – before 8cf0a1bc12870d148ae830a4ba88cfdf0e879cee
Linux Linux 4.14

Weakness: CWE-401 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

References