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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2022-50073: net: tap: NULL pointer derefence in dev_parse_header_protocol when skb->dev is null

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.20% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 4.15, 4.20, 447ba770cfe798925f4923548b367fd49f0ee5f0.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 4.15, 4.20, 447ba770cfe798925f4923548b367fd49f0ee5f0 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: tap: NULL pointer derefence in dev_parse_header_protocol when skb->dev is null Fixes a NULL pointer derefence bug triggered from tap driver. When tap_get_user calls virtio_net_hdr_to_skb the skb->dev is null (in tap.c skb->dev is set after the call to virtio_net_hdr_to_skb) virtio_net_hdr_to_skb calls dev_parse_header_protocol which needs skb->dev field to be valid. The line that trigers the bug is in dev_parse_header_protocol (dev is at offset 0x10 from skb and is stored in RAX register) if (!dev->header_ops || !dev->header_ops->parse_protocol) 22e1: mov 0x10(%rbx),%rax 22e5: mov 0x230(%rax),%rax Setting skb->dev before the call in tap.c fixes the issue. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000230 RIP: 0010:virtio_net_hdr_to_skb.constprop.0+0x335/0x410 [tap] Code: c0 0f 85 b7 fd ff ff eb d4 41 39 c6 77 cf 29 c6 48 89 df 44 01 f6 e8 7a 79 83 c1 48 85 c0 0f 85 d9 fd ff ff eb b7 48 8b 43 10 <48> 8b 80 30 02 00 00 48 85 c0 74 55 48 8b 40 28 48 85 c0 74 4c 48 RSP: 0018:ffffc90005c27c38 EFLAGS: 00010246 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff888298f25300 RCX: 0000000000000010 RDX: 0000000000000005 RSI: ffffc90005c27cb6 RDI: ffff888298f25300 RBP: ffffc90005c27c80 R08: 00000000ffffffea R09: 00000000000007e8 R10: ffff88858ec77458 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: 0000000000000001 R13: 0000000000000014 R14: ffffc90005c27e08 R15: ffffc90005c27cb6 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff88858ec40000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000000000000230 CR3: 0000000281408006 CR4: 00000000003706e0 Call Trace: tap_get_user+0x3f1/0x540 [tap] tap_sendmsg+0x56/0x362 [tap] ? get_tx_bufs+0xc2/0x1e0 [vhost_net] handle_tx_copy+0x114/0x670 [vhost_net] handle_tx+0xb0/0xe0 [vhost_net] handle_tx_kick+0x15/0x20 [vhost_net] vhost_worker+0x7b/0xc0 [vhost] ? vhost_vring_call_reset+0x40/0x40 [vhost] kthread+0xfa/0x120 ? kthread_complete_and_exit+0x20/0x20 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jun 18, 2025
Updated
Aug 12, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 10th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.2%

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  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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When you'll hear from us

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel4.14.226 and later · before 4.15
  • linux linux kernel4.19.181 and later · before 4.20
  • linux linux kernel5.4.106 and later · before 5.5
  • linux linux kernel5.10.24 and later · before 5.11
  • linux linux kernel5.11.7 and later · before 5.12
  • linux linux kernel5.12.1 and later · before 5.19.4
  • linux linux kernel5.12

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • ea3fb2ce5fa794d02135f5c079e05cd6fc3f545d, 54ef8243c3c8e90f1ea5792e6752e021a25c8eb3, ca278267d6cd9544645731732455b6b20cb0e895, 99b1d3f74b9ef72c2f74c8e4c078e1bc0706e748, 5.12affected
    • faa3baa2828c5e1c4374f3e60041f75c64f5fcb6 and later · before 8f90163f9e013c8fc791aab338aab44a46044cfcaffected · git
    • 924a9bc362a5223cd448ca08c3dde21235adc310 and later · before 447ba770cfe798925f4923548b367fd49f0ee5f0affected · git
    • 924a9bc362a5223cd448ca08c3dde21235adc310 and later · before dd29648fcf69339713f2d25f7014ae905dcdfc18affected · git
    • 924a9bc362a5223cd448ca08c3dde21235adc310 and later · before 4f61f133f354853bc394ec7d6028adb9b02dd701affected · git
    • 5.10.24 and later · before 5.10.258affected · semver
    • 4.14.226 and later · before 4.15affected · semver
    • 4.19.181 and later · before 4.20affected · semver
    • 5.4.106 and later · before 5.5affected · semver
    • 5.11.7 and later · before 5.12affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 5.19.6-15.19.6-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2022-50071Jun 18, 2025 · mptcp: move subflow cleanup in mptcp_destroy_common()
    31Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2022-50072Jun 18, 2025 · NFSv4/pnfs: Fix a use-after-free bug in open
    31Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2022-50074Jun 18, 2025 · apparmor: Fix memleak in aa_simple_write_to_buffer()
    22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux4.15Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux4.20Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux447ba770cfe798925f4923548b367fd49f0ee5f0Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux4f61f133f354853bc394ec7d6028adb9b02dd701Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5.10.258Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5.12Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5.5Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux8f90163f9e013c8fc791aab338aab44a46044cfcVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxdd29648fcf69339713f2d25f7014ae905dcdfc18Vendor (CNA)
debian:linux5.19.6-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-476 · NULL Pointer Dereference

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

Show all references (4 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records