CVE-2022-49462
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

Overview

CVE-2022-49462 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel affecting the MSM Adreno A6XX GPU driver. The issue was discovered in 2022 and involves a reference count leak in the a6xxgpuinit function (Kernel Commit).

Technical details

The vulnerability stems from improper reference counting in the Linux kernel's MSM Adreno A6XX GPU driver. Specifically, the ofparsephandle() function returns a node pointer with an incremented reference count, but the code failed to properly release this reference using ofnodeput() when it was no longer needed. The a6xxgmuinit() function passes the node to offinddevicebynode() and ofdmaconfigure(), where offinddevicebynode() takes its reference, but ofdmaconfigure() doesn't need the node after usage (Kernel Commit).

Impact

The vulnerability results in a reference count leak in the kernel's memory management system. While this type of issue typically leads to memory leaks and potential resource exhaustion over time, it generally doesn't present an immediate security risk (Kernel Commit).

Mitigation and workarounds

The issue was fixed by adding a missing ofnodeput() call to properly release the reference count after the node is no longer needed. The fix was implemented in the Linux kernel through commit c56de483093d7ad0782327f95dda7da97bc4c315 and backported to various stable kernel versions (Kernel Commit).

Additional resources


SourceThis report was generated using AI

Related Linux Kernel vulnerabilities:

CVE ID

Severity

Score

Technologies

Component name

CISA KEV exploit

Has fix

Published date

CVE-2025-40344N/AN/A
  • Linux KernelLinux Kernel
  • kernel-debug-modules-internal
NoYesDec 09, 2025
CVE-2025-40343N/AN/A
  • Linux KernelLinux Kernel
  • kernel-64k-debug-devel
NoYesDec 09, 2025
CVE-2025-40342N/AN/A
  • Linux KernelLinux Kernel
  • kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched
NoYesDec 09, 2025
CVE-2025-40341N/AN/A
  • Linux KernelLinux Kernel
  • kernel-rt-64k-debug-modules-extra
NoYesDec 09, 2025
CVE-2025-40340N/AN/A
  • Linux KernelLinux Kernel
  • kernel-rt-64k-debug-kvm
NoYesDec 09, 2025

Free Vulnerability Assessment

Benchmark your Cloud Security Posture

Evaluate your cloud security practices across 9 security domains to benchmark your risk level and identify gaps in your defenses.

Request assessment

Get a personalized demo

Ready to see Wiz in action?

"Best User Experience I have ever seen, provides full visibility to cloud workloads."
David EstlickCISO
"Wiz provides a single pane of glass to see what is going on in our cloud environments."
Adam FletcherChief Security Officer
"We know that if Wiz identifies something as critical, it actually is."
Greg PoniatowskiHead of Threat and Vulnerability Management