CVE-2022-49873
MEDIUMDescription
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix wrong reg type conversion in release_reference() Some helper functions will allocate memory. To avoid memory leaks, the verifier requires the eBPF program to release these memories by calling the corresponding helper functions. When a resource is released, all pointer registers corresponding to the resource should be invalidated. The verifier use release_references() to do this job, by apply __mark_reg_unknown() to each relevant register. It will give these registers the type of SCALAR_VALUE. A register that will contain a pointer value at runtime, but of type SCALAR_VALUE, which may allow the unprivileged user to get a kernel pointer by storing this register into a map. Using __mark_reg_not_init() while NOT allow_ptr_leaks can mitigate this problem.
How to fix
This vulnerability affects an unusually large number of packages. The highest-confidence fixes are shown above; the full list is longer. Check the referenced advisories for complete coverage.
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 10% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-704 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2025-41646 | Critical | 9.8 | 47% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2017-5115 | High | 8.8 | 26% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2018-3843 | High | 8.8 | 24% | - | - |
| CVE-2018-12453 | High | 7.5 | 24% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2017-3106 | High | 8.8 | 22% | - | - |
| CVE-2018-5007 | High | 8.8 | 18% | - | - |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2022-49873?
Published advisories record a fix for 157 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2022-49873 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2022-49873 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.20% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 10% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2022-49873?
CVE-2022-49873 has a CVSS v3 base score of 5.5, rated medium. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2022-49873 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for linux (Debian), bpftool (Rocky), bpftool (Red Hat / RHEL), bpftool-debuginfo (Rocky), and 153 more. Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2025-10-01.