Vulnerability · Published Jun 18, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2022-50220usbnet: Fix linkwatch use-after-free on disconnect

High 7.8

In plain English

A high-severity security flaw 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 16% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS NVD)7.8High
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 84.0% 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: usbnet: Fix linkwatch use-after-free on disconnect usbnet uses the work usbnet_deferred_kevent() to perform tasks which may sleep. On disconnect, completion of the work was originally awaited in ->ndo_stop(). But in 2003, that was moved to ->disconnect() by historic commit "[PATCH] USB: usbnet, prevent exotic rtnl deadlock": https://git.kernel.org/tglx/history/c/0f138bbfd83c The change was made because back then, the kernel's workqueue implementation did not allow waiting for a single work. One had to wait for completion of *all* work by calling flush_scheduled_work(), and that could deadlock when waiting for usbnet_deferred_kevent() with rtnl_mutex held in ->ndo_stop(). The commit solved one problem but created another: It causes a use-after-free in USB Ethernet drivers aqc111.c, asix_devices.c, ax88179_178a.c, ch9200.c and smsc75xx.c: * If the drivers receive a link change interrupt immediately before disconnect, they raise EVENT_LINK_RESET in their (non-sleepable) ->status() callback and schedule usbnet_deferred_kevent(). * usbnet_deferred_kevent() invokes the driver's ->link_reset() callback, which calls netif_carrier_{on,off}(). * That in turn schedules the work linkwatch_event(). Because usbnet_deferred_kevent() is awaited after unregister_netdev(), netif_carrier_{on,off}() may operate on an unregistered netdev and linkwatch_event() may run after free_netdev(), causing a use-after-free. In 2010, usbnet was changed to only wait for a single instance of usbnet_deferred_kevent() instead of *all* work by commit 23f333a2bfaf ("drivers/net: don't use flush_scheduled_work()"). Unfortunately the commit neglected to move the wait back to ->ndo_stop(). Rectify that omission at long last.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.0.2-1DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50220
Debian:13linux6.0.2-1DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50220
Debian:14linux6.0.2-1DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux5.15.0-53.59UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws5.15.0-1023.27UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure5.15.0-1023.29UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde5.15.0-1024.30.1UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp5.15.0-1022.29UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gke5.15.0-1020.25UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gkeop5.15.0-1008.12UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm5.15.0-1018.21UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iotg5.15.0-1018.23UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-kvm5.15.0-1021.26UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency5.15.0-53.59UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia5.15.0-1015.15UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle5.15.0-1022.28UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-raspi5.15.0-1018.20UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50220

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 23f333a2bfafba80339315b724808982a9de57d9 – before d2d6b530d89b0a912148018027386aa049f0a30923f333a2bfafba80339315b724808982a9de57d9 – before e2a521a7dcc463c5017b4426ca0804e151faeff723f333a2bfafba80339315b724808982a9de57d9 – before 7f77dcbc030c2faa6d8e8a594985eeb34018409e23f333a2bfafba80339315b724808982a9de57d9 – before 8b4588b8b00b299be16a35be67b331d8fdba03f323f333a2bfafba80339315b724808982a9de57d9 – before 135199a2edd459d2b123144efcd7f9bcd95128e423f333a2bfafba80339315b724808982a9de57d9 – before 635fd8953e4309b54ca6a81bed1d4a87668694f423f333a2bfafba80339315b724808982a9de57d9 – before d49bb8cf9bfaa06aa527eb30f1a52a071da2e32f23f333a2bfafba80339315b724808982a9de57d9 – before db3b738ae5f726204876f4303c49cfdf4311403f
Linux Linux 2.6.38

References