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CVE Record

CVE-2022-36879: An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel through 5.18.14.

An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel through 5.18.14. xfrm_expand_policies in net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c can cause a refcount to be dropped twice.

MediumCVSS 5.5Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2022-36879 is a Linux kernel flaw that can crash or disrupt a system when reached by a local low-privileged user. It does not indicate data theft or privilege escalation in the supplied evidence, but it can affect availability on systems running vulnerable kernels.

Executive priority

Treat as a scheduled but important availability-risk patch. Prioritize shared Linux infrastructure, multi-user hosts, and appliances with vendor-confirmed exposure. Escalate only if local untrusted access exists or business-critical systems remain unpatched.

Technical view

The issue is in xfrm_expand_policies in net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c. The CVE describes a double refcount drop in Linux kernels through 5.18.14. The supplied CVSS vector is local, low complexity, low privilege, no user interaction, with high availability impact only.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most relevant to Linux hosts, appliances, or distributions carrying affected kernel code through 5.18.14. Debian and NetApp references indicate downstream vendor impact, but the bundle does not provide a complete affected product matrix.

Exploitation context

The source bundle marks CISA KEV as false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation or public weaponization. The attack vector is local with low privileges, so remote-only exposure is not supported by the supplied data.

Researcher notes

The key evidence is the upstream Linux commit and CVE description. The affected metadata is sparse, so do not infer specific distributions or products beyond cited Debian and NetApp references. No confidentiality or integrity impact is supported by the supplied CVSS vector.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply Linux kernel updates from the relevant OS or appliance vendor.
  • Confirm the vendor kernel includes commit f85daf0e725358be78dfd208dea5fd665d8cb901 or equivalent backport.
  • Review Debian DSA-5207 and LTS advisories if using Debian kernels.
  • Review NetApp advisory NTAP-20220901-0007 for affected appliance guidance.
  • If no vendor fix is available, request vendor-specific mitigation guidance.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Linux kernel versions across servers, containers hosts, and appliances.
  • Flag systems running kernels through 5.18.14 or vendor backports lacking the fix.
  • Check package changelogs or vendor advisories for the referenced xfrm_policy fix.
  • Verify Debian and NetApp exposure against the cited advisories where applicable.
  • Document residual exposure where vendor affected-version details are incomplete.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
8

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

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CVE-2022-36879 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.5 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
7Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
5.5CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H1.83.6Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

5.5Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2022-36879Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.