7.8

CVE-2022-50179: ath9k: fix use-after-free in ath9k_hif_usb_rx_cb

Analyzed
AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2022-50179DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50179
Published 18-06-2025Last modified 11-05-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2022-50179 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Use After Free vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.26% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 17.7% 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
0.26%
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

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 9 · Related 7
RHSA-2022:8267RHSA-2024:0412SUSE-SU-2025:02264-1SUSE-SU-2025:02308-1SUSE-SU-2025:02320-1SUSE-SU-2025:02321-1

Timeline

  1. 18-06-2025
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 11-05-2026
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ath9k: fix use-after-free in ath9k_hif_usb_rx_cb Syzbot reported use-after-free Read in ath9k_hif_usb_rx_cb() [0]. The problem was in incorrect htc_handle->drv_priv initialization. Probable call trace which can trigger use-after-free: ath9k_htc_probe_device() /* htc_handle->drv_priv = priv; */ ath9k_htc_wait_for_target() <--- Failed ieee80211_free_hw() <--- priv pointer is freed <IRQ> ... ath9k_hif_usb_rx_cb() ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() RX_STAT_INC() <--- htc_handle->drv_priv access In order to not add fancy protection for drv_priv we can move htc_handle->drv_priv initialization at the end of the ath9k_htc_probe_device() and add helper macro to make all *_STAT_* macros NULL safe, since syzbot has reported related NULL deref in that macros [1]

CVSS metrics

4 scores · 3 sources · 2 versions

EPSS trend

Probability

0.26%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

18%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

Increase +0.01 pp

From 0.25% 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

Affected systems

Version check

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

Ubuntu110 products
  • linuxAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 4.4.0-229.263 | < 4.15.0-191.202 | < 5.4.0-124.140 | < 5.15.0-43.46
  • linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws< 4.4.0-1109.115 | < 4.4.0-1145.160 | < 4.15.0-1139.150 | < 5.4.0-1083.90 | < 5.15.0-1017.21
  • linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Linux2 products
  • linux≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 62bc1ea5c7401d77eaf73d0c6a15f3d2e742856e | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < ab7a0ddf5f1cdec63cb21840369873806fc36d80 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < e9e21206b8ea62220b486310c61277e7ebfe7cec | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < eccd7c3e2596b574241a7670b5b53f5322f470e5 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 03ca957c5f7b55660957eda20b5db4110319ac7a | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 6b14ab47937ba441e75e8dbb9fbfc9c55efa41c6 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < b66ebac40f64336ae2d053883bee85261060bd27 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 0ac4827f78c7ffe8eef074bc010e7e34bc22f533 | 2.6.35
  • linux_kernel≥ 2.6.35, < 4.14.291 | ≥ 4.15, < 4.19.256 | ≥ 4.20, < 5.4.211 | ≥ 5.5, < 5.10.137 | ≥ 5.11, < 5.15.61 | ≥ 5.16, < 5.18.18 | ≥ 5.19, < 5.19.2
Debian1 product
  • linux< 6.0.2-1

3 vendors · 113 products

References

11 links
Show all 11 references