Security assessments indicate that CVE-2022-49688 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Analyzed
Last updated: 🕞 24 Oct 2025, 15:51 UTC
Originally published on: 🕖 26 Feb 2025, 07:01 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 240 days
CVSS Release: version 3
nvd@nist.gov
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2022-49688: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: afs: Fix dynamic root getattr The recent patch to make afs_getattr consult the server didn't account for the pseudo-inodes employed by the dynamic root-type afs superblock not having a volume or a server to access, and thus an oops occurs if such a directory is stat'd. Fix this by checking to see if the vnode->volume pointer actually points anywhere before following it in afs_getattr(). This can be tested by stat'ing a directory in /afs. It may be sufficient just to do "ls /afs" and the oops looks something like: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000020 ... RIP: 0010:afs_getattr+0x8b/0x14b ... Call Trace: <TASK> vfs_statx+0x79/0xf5 vfs_fstatat+0x49/0x62
The exploitability of CVE-2022-49688 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2022-49688 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2022-49688, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2022-49688, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 0.044% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 12.92%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 87.08% of others.
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