net: mdiobus: fix unbalanced node reference count
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-401.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: mdiobus: fix unbalanced node reference count I got the following report while doing device(mscc-miim) load test with CONFIG_OF_UNITTEST and CONFIG_OF_DYNAMIC enabled: OF: ERROR: memory leak, expected refcount 1 instead of 2, of_node_get()/of_node_put() unbalanced - destroy cset entry: attach overlay node /spi/soc@0/mdio@7107009c/ethernet-phy@0 If the 'fwnode' is not an acpi node, the refcount is get in fwnode_mdiobus_phy_device_register(), but it has never been put when the device is freed in the normal path. So call fwnode_handle_put() in phy_device_release() to avoid leak. If it's an acpi node, it has never been get, but it's put in the error path, so call fwnode_handle_get() before phy_device_register() to keep get/put operation balanced.
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 | 5.14 and later | 5.15.82, 6.0.12, 6.1 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.14 and later Fixed in 5.15.82, 6.0.12, 6.1 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 8
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.14 to before 5.15.82; 5.16 to before 6.0.12 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.14 to before 5.15.82; 5.16 to before 6.0.12 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.82, 6.0.12, 6.1
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-2022-49016
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5cp3-hg96-hvr9
References
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2022-49016 · CVE Program
- CVE-2022-49016 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-5cp3-hg96-hvr9 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2022-49016 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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