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CVE Record

CVE-2022-50423: ACPICA: Fix use-after-free in acpi_ut_copy_ipackage_to_ipackage()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ACPICA: Fix use-after-free in acpi_ut_copy_ipackage_to_ipackage() There is an use-after-free reported by KASAN: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in acpi_ut_remove_reference+0x3b/0x82 Read of size 1 at addr ffff888112afc460 by task modprobe/2111 CPU: 0 PID: 2111 Comm: modprobe Not tainted 6.1.0-rc7-dirty Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), Call Trace: <TASK> kasan_report+0xae/0xe0 acpi_ut_remove_reference+0x3b/0x82 acpi_ut_copy_iobject_to_iobject+0x3be/0x3d5 acpi_ds_store_object_to_local+0x15d/0x3a0 acpi_ex_store+0x78d/0x7fd acpi_ex_opcode_1A_1T_1R+0xbe4/0xf9b acpi_ps_parse_aml+0x217/0x8d5 ... </TASK> The root cause of the problem is that the acpi_operand_object is freed when acpi_ut_walk_package_tree() fails in acpi_ut_copy_ipackage_to_ipackage(), lead to repeated release in acpi_ut_copy_iobject_to_iobject(). The problem was introduced by "8aa5e56eeb61" commit, this commit is to fix memory leak in acpi_ut_copy_iobject_to_iobject(), repeatedly adding remove operation, lead to "acpi_operand_object" used after free. Fix it by removing acpi_ut_remove_reference() in acpi_ut_copy_ipackage_to_ipackage(). acpi_ut_copy_ipackage_to_ipackage() is called to copy an internal package object into another internal package object, when it fails, the memory of acpi_operand_object should be freed by the caller.

HighCVSS 7.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A flaw in the Linux kernel's ACPI handling code could let memory be reused after it was already released, which can crash the system or, in worse cases, let a logged-in user gain higher privileges. It only matters if someone already has access to the machine, and there is no public sign attackers are using it. Vendors have shipped fixes that should be applied during routine kernel patching.

Executive priority

Schedule with the next routine kernel maintenance window. No KEV listing and local-only access keep urgency moderate, but the high CVSS warrants tracking until patched fleet-wide.

Technical view

CVE-2022-50423 is a use-after-free (CWE-416) in the Linux kernel's ACPICA subsystem, specifically acpi_ut_copy_ipackage_to_ipackage(). When acpi_ut_walk_package_tree() fails, the operand object is freed inside the helper and then released again by the caller, causing a UAF flagged by KASAN. CVSS 3.1 score is 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). Fix removes the duplicate acpi_ut_remove_reference() call.

Likely exposure

Any Linux system running an unpatched kernel between 3.17 and the fixed stable releases (pre-4.9.337, 4.14.303, 4.19.270, 5.4.229, 5.10.163, 5.15.86, 6.0.16, 6.1.2) that processes ACPI table data is potentially exposed. Server, desktop, and virtualized Linux hosts using ACPI are in scope.

Exploitation context

No public exploit, proof of concept, or in-the-wild activity is cited in the bundle, and the issue is not on CISA's KEV list. The bug was discovered via KASAN during ACPI table parsing, suggesting trigger paths are narrow and require local context to reach the vulnerable copy routine.

Researcher notes

Use-after-free (CWE-416) introduced by commit 8aa5e56eeb61, which over-corrected an earlier memory leak by adding a duplicate acpi_ut_remove_reference() call in acpi_ut_copy_ipackage_to_ipackage(). When acpi_ut_walk_package_tree() fails, the operand is freed inside the helper and then again by the caller in acpi_ut_copy_iobject_to_iobject(). KASAN trace shows the read in acpi_ut_remove_reference. Fix removes the redundant decrement so the caller owns cleanup. Patches are landed across stable trees; verify backports in distro kernels.

Mitigation direction

  • Update Linux kernels to the stable releases listed (4.9.337, 4.14.303, 4.19.270, 5.4.229, 5.10.163, 5.15.86, 6.0.16, 6.1.2, or 6.2+).
  • Apply distribution vendor kernel updates that backport the ACPICA fix to your running branch.
  • Restrict local access and tighten privilege boundaries on systems pending patching.
  • Track vendor advisories (RHEL, Ubuntu, SUSE, Debian) for branch-specific guidance and reboot scheduling.
  • Include kernel reboots in the next maintenance window so the patched image is actually loaded.

Validation and detection

  • Run 'uname -r' and compare against the fixed stable versions for each affected branch.
  • Query your patch management system or vendor errata for the CVE-2022-50423 backport status.
  • Confirm hosts have rebooted into the patched kernel after package installation.
  • Audit configuration management (Ansible, Puppet, Chef) inventories for kernels still in the affected range.
  • Re-scan with your vulnerability scanner after patching to confirm the finding clears.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
11

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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cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2022-50423 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
7.8 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
10Source 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
7.8CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7.8High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2022-50423Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
LinuxLinux8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, 8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, 8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, 8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, 8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, 8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, 8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, 8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, 8aa5e56eeb61a099ea6519eb30ee399e1bc043ce, b3e98f0c4f996cd53b80bad71f0d7e4a2cf3a4e8, 7af5504c102a378376101dbd160246b10a814dd0, e29a15484d7ea949e49ae7fb7e576a575da824a6, e2ab6731a36966d042a2d4dabd980496cd680f75unaffected
LinuxLinux3.17, 0, 4.9.337, 4.14.303, 4.19.270, 5.4.229, 5.10.163, 5.15.86, 6.0.16, 6.1.2, 6.2affected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-416

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

CWE-416 · source CWE mapping

Use After Free

Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.

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