CVE-2022-49707

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: add reserved GDT blocks check We capture a NULL pointer issue when resizing a corrupt ext4 image which is freshly clear resize_inode feature (not run e2fsck). It could be simply reproduced by following steps. The problem is because of the resize_inode feature was cleared, and it will convert the filesystem to meta_bg mode in ext4_resize_fs(), but the es->s_reserved_gdt_blocks was not reduced to zero, so could we mistakenly call reserve_backup_gdb() and passing an uninitialized resize_inode to it when adding new group descriptors. mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda 3G tune2fs -O ^resize_inode /dev/sda #forget to run requested e2fsck mount /dev/sda /mnt resize2fs /dev/sda 8G ======== BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000028 CPU: 19 PID: 3243 Comm: resize2fs Not tainted 5.18.0-rc7-00001-gfde086c5ebfd #748 ... RIP: 0010:ext4_flex_group_add+0xe08/0x2570 ... Call Trace: <TASK> ext4_resize_fs+0xbec/0x1660 __ext4_ioctl+0x1749/0x24e0 ext4_ioctl+0x12/0x20 __x64_sys_ioctl+0xa6/0x110 do_syscall_64+0x3b/0x90 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae RIP: 0033:0x7f2dd739617b ======== The fix is simple, add a check in ext4_resize_begin() to make sure that the es->s_reserved_gdt_blocks is zero when the resize_inode feature is disabled.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-02-26
Last modified 2025-10-01
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-476

CVE-2022-49707 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability

What is NULL Pointer Dereference?

The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.7 and later are affected. Fixed in 4.9.320, 4.14.285, 4.19.249, 5.4.200, 5.10.124, 5.15.49, 5.18.6, 5.19 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.7
Fixed in
✓ 4.9.320 4.9.x ✓ 4.14.285 4.14.x ✓ 4.19.249 4.19.x ✓ 5.4.200 5.4.x ✓ 5.10.124 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.49 5.15.x ✓ 5.18.6 5.18.x ✓ 5.19

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2022-49707 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-2022-49707?

    CVE-2022-49707 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.7 onward and has been patched in 4.9.320, 4.14.285, 4.19.249 and others. CVE-2022-49707 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2022-49707?

    CVE-2022-49707 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-2022-49707?

    Yes — CVE-2022-49707 has been patched. Fixed versions include 4.9.320, 4.14.285, 4.19.249 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.7 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2022-49707 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2022-49707 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?

    The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →