CVE Intelligence
Unknown

CVE-2022-50881 — wifi: ath9k: Fix use-after-free in ath9k_hif_usb_disconnect()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: Fix use-after-free in ath9k_hif_usb_disconnect() This patch fixes a use-after-free in ath9k that occurs in ath9k_hif_usb_disconnect() when ath9k_destroy_wmi() is trying to access 'drv_priv' that has already been freed by ieee80211_free_hw(), called by ath9k_htc_hw_deinit(). The patch moves ath9k_destroy_wmi() before ieee80211_free_hw(). Note that urbs from the driver should be killed before freeing 'wmi' with ath9k_destroy_wmi() as their callbacks will access 'wmi'. Found by a modified version of syzkaller. ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in ath9k_destroy_wmi+0x38/0x40 Read of size 8 at addr ffff8881069132a0 by task kworker/0:1/7 CPU: 0 PID: 7 Comm: kworker/0:1 Tainted: G O 5.14.0+ #131 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.12.1-0-ga5cab58e9a3f-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 Workqueue: usb_hub_wq hub_event Call Trace: dump_stack_lvl+0x8e/0xd1 print_address_description.constprop.0.cold+0x93/0x334 ? ath9k_destroy_wmi+0x38/0x40 ? ath9k_destroy_wmi+0x38/0x40 kasan_report.cold+0x83/0xdf ? ath9k_destroy_wmi+0x38/0x40 ath9k_destroy_wmi+0x38/0x40 ath9k_hif_usb_disconnect+0x329/0x3f0 ? ath9k_hif_usb_suspend+0x120/0x120 ? usb_disable_interface+0xfc/0x180 usb_unbind_interface+0x19b/0x7e0 ? usb_autoresume_device+0x50/0x50 device_release_driver_internal+0x44d/0x520 bus_remove_device+0x2e5/0x5a0 device_del+0x5b2/0xe30 ? __device_link_del+0x370/0x370 ? usb_remove_ep_devs+0x43/0x80 ? remove_intf_ep_devs+0x112/0x1a0 usb_disable_device+0x1e3/0x5a0 usb_disconnect+0x267/0x870 hub_event+0x168d/0x3950 ? rcu_read_lock_sched_held+0xa1/0xd0 ? hub_port_debounce+0x2e0/0x2e0 ? check_irq_usage+0x860/0xf20 ? drain_workqueue+0x281/0x360 ? lock_release+0x640/0x640 ? rcu_read_lock_sched_held+0xa1/0xd0 ? rcu_read_lock_bh_held+0xb0/0xb0 ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0x273/0x3e0 process_one_work+0x92b/0x1460 ? pwq_dec_nr_in_flight+0x330/0x330 ? rwlock_bug.part.0+0x90/0x90 worker_thread+0x95/0xe00 ? __kthread_parkme+0x115/0x1e0 ? process_one_work+0x1460/0x1460 kthread+0x3a1/0x480 ? set_kthread_struct+0x120/0x120 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 The buggy address belongs to the page: page:ffffea00041a44c0 refcount:0 mapcount:0 mapping:0000000000000000 index:0x0 pfn:0x106913 flags: 0x200000000000000(node=0|zone=2) raw: 0200000000000000 0000000000000000 dead000000000122 0000000000000000 raw: 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 00000000ffffffff 0000000000000000 page dumped because: kasan: bad access detected page_owner tracks the page as freed page last allocated via order 3, migratetype Unmovable, gfp_mask 0x40dc0(GFP_KERNEL|__GFP_COMP|__GFP_ZERO), pid 7, ts 38347963444, free_ts 41399957635 prep_new_page+0x1aa/0x240 get_page_from_freelist+0x159a/0x27c0 __alloc_pages+0x2da/0x6a0 alloc_pages+0xec/0x1e0 kmalloc_order+0x39/0xf0 kmalloc_order_trace+0x19/0x120 __kmalloc+0x308/0x390 wiphy_new_nm+0x6f5/0x1dd0 ieee80211_alloc_hw_nm+0x36d/0x2230 ath9k_htc_probe_device+0x9d/0x1e10 ath9k_htc_hw_init+0x34/0x50 ath9k_hif_usb_firmware_cb+0x25f/0x4e0 request_firmware_work_func+0x131/0x240 process_one_work+0x92b/0x1460 worker_thread+0x95/0xe00 kthread+0x3a1/0x480 page last free stack trace: free_pcp_prepare+0x3d3/0x7f0 free_unref_page+0x1e/0x3d0 device_release+0xa4/0x240 kobject_put+0x186/0x4c0 put_device+0x20/0x30 ath9k_htc_disconnect_device+0x1cf/0x2c0 ath9k_htc_hw_deinit+0x26/0x30 ath9k_hif_usb_disconnect+0x2d9/0x3f0 usb_unbind_interface+0x19b/0x7e0 device_release_driver_internal+0x44d/0x520 bus_remove_device+0x2e5/0x5a0 device_del+0x5b2/0xe30 usb_disable_device+0x1e3/0x5a0 usb_disconnect+0x267/0x870 hub_event+0x168d/0x3950 process_one_work+0x92b/0x1460 Memory state around the buggy address: ffff888106913180: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ffff888106913200: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff >ffff888 ---truncated---

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.2%
ahead of 9% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
—
Score not published yet.

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux version 1bc633311a37913293c3c0a1b0f5261c49e3d5dcversion 5.8≥ 5.7.3 and < 5.8≥ 5.6.19 and < 5.7≥ 5.4.47 and < 5.5≥ 4.19.129 and < 4.20≥ 4.14.185 and < 4.15≥ 4.9.228 and < 4.10
and 12 more ≥ 4.4.228 and < 4.5version 378d2734bf603bac4959bce2cadf5927aa2beffc≥ abeaa85054ff8cfe8b99aafc5c70ea067e5d0908 and < 99ff971b62e5bd5dee65bbe9777375206f5db791version 3eb802924486a923585b344340a5536d91989a45version 66a4ca83d50bb38c814190af2188868153cce5deversion 406a2fbfabbf7ed9ed21884a82c07fabc6fe0b68version 44736603a7099d2a9b48c669e43a689588e272a5version 5c42f9bfb4c22898ed3d2806d75e2e58522a5edd≥ abeaa85054ff8cfe8b99aafc5c70ea067e5d0908 and < f099c5c9e2ba08a379bd354a82e05ef839ae29ac≥ abeaa85054ff8cfe8b99aafc5c70ea067e5d0908 and < de15e8bbd9eb26fe94a06d0ec7be82dc490eb729≥ abeaa85054ff8cfe8b99aafc5c70ea067e5d0908 and < 1f137c634a8c8faba648574f687805641e62f92e≥ abeaa85054ff8cfe8b99aafc5c70ea067e5d0908 and < 634a5471a6bd774c0d0fa448dfa6ec593e899ec9
Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.20%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
application logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Source status changed · → Deferred
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • 2025
  • CVE published
    Dec 30, 2025 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

5 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 14h
  • CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 14h
  • CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
  • CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
  • CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
  • CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No CWE classification.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2022-50881 is "wifi: ath9k: Fix use-after-free in ath9k_hif_usb_disconnect()", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.20% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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