usb: gadget: Fix use-after-free bug by not setting udc->dev.driver
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: gadget: Fix use-after-free bug by not setting udc->dev.driver The syzbot fuzzer found a use-after-free bug: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in dev_uevent+0x712/0x780 drivers/base/core.c:2320 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88802b934098 by task udevd/3689 CPU: 2 PID: 3689 Comm: udevd Not tainted 5.17.0-rc4-syzkaller-00229-g4f12b742eb2b #0 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.14.0-2 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0xcd/0x134 lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_address_description.constprop.0.cold+0x8d/0x303 mm/kasan/report.c:255 __kasan_report mm/kasan/report.c:442 [inline] kasan_report.cold+0x83/0xdf mm/kasan/report.c:459 dev_uevent+0x712/0x780 drivers/base/core.c:2320 uevent_show+0x1b8/0x380 drivers/base/core.c:2391 dev_attr_show+0x4b/0x90 drivers/base/core.c:2094 Although the bug manifested in the driver core, the real cause was a race with the gadget core. dev_uevent() does: if (dev->driver) add_uevent_var(env, "DRIVER=%s", dev->driver->name); and between the test and the dereference of dev->driver, the gadget core sets dev->driver to NULL. The race wouldn't occur if the gadget core registered its devices on a real bus, using the standard synchronization techniques of the driver core. However, it's not necessary to make such a large change in order to fix this bug; all we need to do is make sure that udc->dev.driver is always NULL. In fact, there is no reason for udc->dev.driver ever to be set to anything, let alone to the value it currently gets: the address of the gadget's driver. After all, a gadget driver only knows how to manage a gadget, not how to manage a UDC. This patch simply removes the statements in the gadget core that touch udc->dev.driver.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 3.1 and later | 4.9.308, 4.14.273, 4.19.236, 5.4.187, 5.10.108, 5.15.31, 5.16.17, 5.17 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 3.1 and later Fixed in 4.9.308, 4.14.273, 4.19.236, 5.4.187, 5.10.108, 5.15.31, 5.16.17, 5.17 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.1 to before 4.9.308; 4.10 to before 4.14.273; 4.15 to before 4.19.236; 4.20 to before 5.4.187; 5.5 to before 5.10.108; 5.11 to before 5.15.31; 5.16 to before 5.16.17 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.1 to before 4.9.308; 4.10 to before 4.14.273; 4.15 to before 4.19.236; 4.20 to before 5.4.187; 5.5 to before 5.10.108; 5.11 to before 5.15.31; 5.16 to before 5.16.17 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.9.308, 4.14.273, 4.19.236, 5.4.187, 5.10.108, 5.15.31, 5.16.17, 5.17
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2022-48838
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-697g-g69g-85cq
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4325124dde6726267813c736fee61226f1d38f0b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2d3a7009e505e120805f449c832942660f3f7f3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/609a7119bffe3ddd7c93f2fa65be8917e02a0b7e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2282a6eb6d4e118e294e43dcc421e0e0fe4040b5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00bdd9bf1ac6d401ad926d3d8df41b9f1399f646
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2015c23610cd0efadaeca4d3a8d1dae9a45aa35a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/27d64436984fb8835a8b7e95993193cc478b162e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16b1941eac2bd499f065a6739a40ce0011a3d740
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- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2022-48838 · CVE Program
- CVE-2022-48838 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-697g-g69g-85cq · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2022-48838 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences