CVE-2022-2978: debian debian_linux Use After Free

Modified

AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2022-2978DEBIAN-CVE-2022-2978

Published 24-08-2022Last modified 14-10-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2022-2978 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Use After Free vulnerability in debian debian_linux. EPSS estimates a 0.25% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 16.2% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority

Routine

Not severe (CVSS 7.8, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?

CVSS score

7.8/10

010

High · v3.1 (NVD)

EPSS score

0.25%

0%100%

Low · +0.01 pp in 30 days

KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.

RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.

Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Timeline

24-08-2022
PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
14-10-2026
Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

A flaw use after free in the Linux kernel NILFS file system was found in the way user triggers function security_inode_alloc to fail with following call to function nilfs_mdt_destroy. A local user could use this flaw to crash the system or potentially escalate their privileges on the system.

CVSS metrics

4 scores · 3 sources · 2 versions

v4.07.3v3.17.8

EPSS trend

Probability

0.25%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

16%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

Increase +0.01 pp

From 0.24% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs

CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Ubuntu94 products

linuxAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 4.4.0-234.268 | < 4.15.0-197.208 | < 5.4.0-132.148 | < 5.15.0-53.59
linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws< 4.4.0-1113.119 | < 4.4.0-1151.166 | < 4.15.0-1143.155 | < 5.4.0-1089.97 | < 5.15.0-1023.27
linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)

linux-aws-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-5.15< 5.15.0-1023.27~20.04.1
linux-aws-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-5.3All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-5.4< 5.4.0-1089.97~18.04.1
linux-aws-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-fips< 4.15.0-2082.88 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1089.97+fips1
linux-aws-hwe< 4.15.0-1143.155~16.04.1
linux-azure< 4.15.0-1157.172~14.04.2 | < 4.15.0-1159.174~16.04.1 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1095.101 | < 5.15.0-1023.29
linux-azure-4.15< 4.15.0-1157.172
linux-azure-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-5.15< 5.15.0-1023.29~20.04.1
linux-azure-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-5.3All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-5.4< 5.4.0-1095.101~18.04.1
linux-azure-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-edgeAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-fde< 5.15.0-1024.30.1
linux-azure-fde-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-fips< 4.15.0-2066.72 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1095.101+fips1
linux-bluefield< 5.4.0-1050.56
linux-dell300x< 4.15.0-1055.60
linux-fips< 4.4.0-1083.90 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 4.15.0-1100.111 | < 5.4.0-1065.74
linux-gcp< 4.15.0-1138.154~16.04.1 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1093.102 | < 5.15.0-1022.29
linux-gcp-4.15< 4.15.0-1138.154
linux-gcp-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-5.15< 5.15.0-1022.29~20.04.1
linux-gcp-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-5.3All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-5.4< 5.4.0-1093.102~18.04.1
linux-gcp-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-fips< 4.15.0-2047.52 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1093.102+fips1
linux-gke< 5.4.0-1087.94 | < 5.15.0-1020.25
linux-gke-4.15All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gke-5.15< 5.15.0-1020.25~20.04.1
linux-gke-5.4All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gkeop< 5.4.0-1057.61 | < 5.15.0-1008.12
linux-gkeop-5.15< 5.15.0-1008.12~20.04.1
linux-gkeop-5.4All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe< 4.15.0-197.208~16.04.1 | All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-5.15< 5.15.0-53.59~20.04.1
linux-hwe-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-5.4< 5.4.0-132.148~18.04.1
linux-hwe-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-edgeAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-ibm< 5.4.0-1037.42 | < 5.15.0-1018.21
linux-ibm-5.4< 5.4.0-1037.42~18.04.1
linux-intel-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-intel-iot-realtimeAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-intel-iotg< 5.15.0-1018.23
linux-intel-iotg-5.15< 5.15.0-1018.23~20.04.1
linux-iot< 5.4.0-1006.8
linux-kvm< 4.4.0-1114.124 | < 4.15.0-1129.134 | < 5.4.0-1079.85 | < 5.15.0-1021.26
linux-lowlatency< 5.15.0-53.59
linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15< 5.15.0-53.59~20.04.1
linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-lts-xenial< 4.4.0-234.268~14.04.1
linux-nvidia< 5.15.0-1015.15
linux-oemAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-5.10All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-5.14All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-5.17< 5.17.0-1020.21
linux-oem-5.6All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-6.0All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle< 4.15.0-1108.119~16.04.1 | < 4.15.0-1108.119 | < 5.4.0-1087.96 | < 5.15.0-1022.28
linux-oracle-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle-5.15< 5.15.0-1022.28~20.04.1
linux-oracle-5.3All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle-5.4< 5.4.0-1087.96~18.04.1
linux-oracle-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-raspi< 5.4.0-1074.85 | < 5.15.0-1018.20
linux-raspi-5.4< 5.4.0-1074.85~18.04.1
linux-raspi-realtimeAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-raspi2< 4.15.0-1121.129 | All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-realtimeAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.15.0-1025.28
linux-riscvAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-riscv-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-riscv-5.15< 5.15.0-1023.27~20.04.1
linux-riscv-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-riscv-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-snapdragon< 4.15.0-1139.149
linux-starfive-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)

Show all 94

Debian2 products

linux< 6.0.2-1
debian_linuxEOL10.0

Linux1 product

linux_kernel≥ 2.6.12, < 4.9.331 | ≥ 4.10, < 4.14.296 | ≥ 4.15, < 4.19.262 | ≥ 4.20, < 5.4.218 | ≥ 5.5, < 5.10.148 | ≥ 5.11, < 5.15.73 | ≥ 5.16, < 5.19.15 | ≥ 6.0, < 6.0.1

3 vendors · 97 products

References

17 links

lore.kernel.org/linux-fsdevel/20220816040859.659129-1-dzm91%40hust.edu.cn/T/
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00034.htmlMailing ListThird Party Advisory
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2022-2978REPORT
lore.kernel.org/linux-fsdevel/20220816040859.659129-1-dzm91@hust.edu.cn/T/REPORT
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-5650-1Advisory
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-5693-1Advisory
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-5727-1Advisory
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-5728-1Advisory
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-5729-1Advisory
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-5727-2Advisory

Show all 17 references