IRONSMITHINTEL
HIGHCVSS8.4
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2022-0185|Auth: none — unauthenticated|Reboot: required|Manual only

Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (CVE-2022-0185)

Linux kernel contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the legacy_parse_param function in the Filesystem Context functionality. This allows an attacker to open a filesystem that does not support the Filesystem Context API and ultimately escalate privileges.

Published Feb 11, 2022 · Updated May 17, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A local attacker, without authentication, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2024-09-11 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a Integer Overflow (CWE-190) vulnerability in Linux Kernel. A heap-based buffer overflow flaw was found in the way the legacy_parse_param function in the Filesystem Context functionality of the Linux kernel verified the supplied parameters length. An unprivileged (in case of unprivileged user namespaces enabled, otherwise needs namespaced CAP_SYS_ADMIN privilege) local user able to open a filesystem that does not support the Filesystem Context API (and thus fallbacks to legacy handling) could use this flaw to escalate their privileges on the system. Exploitation requires local access, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and no user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

IT Security
Running linux kernel: 5.1 ≤ v < 5.4.173, 5.5 ≤ v < 5.10.93, 5.11 ≤ v < 5.15.16, 5.16 ≤ v < 5.16.2; h410c firmware: -; h300s firmware: -; h500s firmware: -; h700s firmware: -; h300e firmware: -; h500e firmware: -; h700e firmware: -; h410s firmware: -
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

Active exploitation documented in the wild. Threat-research write-up: https://github.com/Crusaders-of-Rust/CVE-2022-0185

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

1
Identify affected hosts: query inventory for general installs in scope.
2
Apply the vendor security update referenced in CVE-2022-0185's advisory. No specific KB/version is encoded yet — consult the linked MSRC/vendor URL.
3
Verify the fix per the vendor's published verification steps.
4
Document the remediation in your change ticket and re-scan with your vulnerability scanner to confirm closure.
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