CVE-2022-49219

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/pci: fix memory leak during D3hot to D0 transition If 'vfio_pci_core_device::needs_pm_restore' is set (PCI device does not have No_Soft_Reset bit set in its PMCSR config register), then the current PCI state will be saved locally in 'vfio_pci_core_device::pm_save' during D0->D3hot transition and same will be restored back during D3hot->D0 transition. For saving the PCI state locally, pci_store_saved_state() is being used and the pci_load_and_free_saved_state() will free the allocated memory. But for reset related IOCTLs, vfio driver calls PCI reset-related API's which will internally change the PCI power state back to D0. So, when the guest resumes, then it will get the current state as D0 and it will skip the call to vfio_pci_set_power_state() for changing the power state to D0 explicitly. In this case, the memory pointed by 'pm_save' will never be freed. In a malicious sequence, the state changing to D3hot followed by VFIO_DEVICE_RESET/VFIO_DEVICE_PCI_HOT_RESET can be run in a loop and it can cause an OOM situation. This patch frees the earlier allocated memory first before overwriting 'pm_save' to prevent the mentioned memory leak.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-02-26
Last modified 2025-11-03
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-401

CVE-2022-49219 is a Memory Leak vulnerability

What is Memory Leak?

The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.1 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.237, 5.15.33, 5.16.19, 5.17.2, 5.18 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.1
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.237 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.33 5.15.x ✓ 5.16.19 5.16.x ✓ 5.17.2 5.17.x ✓ 5.18

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2022-49219 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2022-49219?

    CVE-2022-49219 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a Memory Leak flaw (CWE-401) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.1 onward and has been patched in 5.10.237, 5.15.33, 5.16.19 and others. CVE-2022-49219 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2022-49219?

    CVE-2022-49219 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2022-49219?

    Yes — CVE-2022-49219 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.237, 5.15.33, 5.16.19 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.1 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2022-49219 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2022-49219 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Memory Leak (CWE-401)?

    The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. View CWE-401 on MITRE CWE →