CVE-2022-50220

HIGH

Linux Kernel Use-After-Free in usbnet_deferred_kevent

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

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.

Scores

CVSS v3 7.8
EPSS 0.0020
EPSS Percentile 9.7%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Details

CWE
CWE-416
Status published
Products (29)
linux/Kernel 2.6.38 - 4.9.326linux
linux/Kernel 4.10.0 - 4.14.291linux
linux/Kernel 4.15.0 - 4.19.256linux
linux/Kernel 4.20.0 - 5.4.211linux
linux/Kernel 5.11.0 - 5.15.61linux
linux/Kernel 5.16.0 - 5.18.18linux
linux/Kernel 5.19.0 - 5.19.2linux
linux/Kernel 5.5.0 - 5.10.137linux
Linux/Linux < 2.6.38
Linux/Linux 2.6.38
... and 19 more
Published Jun 18, 2025
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026