CVE-2022-48879 — efi: fix NULL-deref in init error path

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MEDIUM

efi: fix NULL-deref in init error path

Published Aug 21, 2024

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS 3.1

EPSS 0.24%

Description

In cases where runtime services are not supported or have been disabled, the runtime services workqueue will never have been allocated.

Do not try to destroy the workqueue unconditionally in the unlikely event that EFI initialisation fails to avoid dereferencing a NULL pointer.

Affected products

Vendor Linux Product Linux Default
unaffected
- Version
  
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
- Version
  
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
- Version
  
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
- Version
  
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
- Version
  
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
- Version
  
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
- Version
  
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  -
- Version
  
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  -
Vendor Linux Product Linux Default
unaffected
- Version
  4.19.142
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  <4.19.270
- Version
  5.4.61
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  <5.4.229
- Version
  5.7.18
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  <5.8
- Version
  5.8.4
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  <5.9
Vendor Linux Product Linux Default
affected
- Version
  5.9
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  -
- Version
  0
  Status
  unaffected
  Constraints
  <5.9
- Version
  4.19.270
  Status
  unaffected
  Constraints
  <=4.19.*
- Version
  5.10.164
  Status
  unaffected
  Constraints
  <=5.10.*
- Version
  5.15.89
  Status
  unaffected
  Constraints
  <=5.15.*
- Version
  5.4.229
  Status
  unaffected
  Constraints
  <=5.4.*
- Version
  6.1.7
  Status
  unaffected
  Constraints
  <=6.1.*
- Version
  6.2
  Status
  unaffected
  Constraints
  <=*

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor

Product

Default status

Versions

Linux

unaffected

Version	Status	Constraints
	affected
	affected
	affected
	affected
	affected
	affected
	affected	-
	affected	-

Linux

unaffected

Version	Status	Constraints
4.19.142	affected	<4.19.270
5.4.61	affected	<5.4.229
5.7.18	affected	<5.8
5.8.4	affected	<5.9

Linux

affected

Version	Status	Constraints
5.9	affected	-
0	unaffected	<5.9
4.19.270	unaffected	<=4.19.*
5.10.164	unaffected	<=5.10.*
5.15.89	unaffected	<=5.15.*
5.4.229	unaffected	<=5.4.*
6.1.7	unaffected	<=6.1.*
6.2	unaffected	<=*

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

kernel

Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

kernel

Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

kernel-rt

Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

kernel

Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

kernel-rt

Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

kernel

Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

kernel-rt

Will not fix

Product	Package	State	Advisory
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	kernel	Not affected	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7	kernel	Out of support scope	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7	kernel-rt	Out of support scope	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8	kernel	Not affected	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8	kernel-rt	Not affected	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9	kernel	Will not fix	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9	kernel-rt	Will not fix	n/a

Remediation

Red Hat statement

Following issue marked as moderate with "not affected" for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, as it is not vulnerable to this CVE. This is because the CVE does not impact the versions or configurations of the Linux kernel used in Red Hat's distributions. Additionally, some RHEL versions may be marked as "will not fix" due to the minimal impact of the issue, and no fix will be provided.

Red Hat mitigation

Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.

Metrics

0.24% 0.00240

Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 3, 2026.

EPSS probability 0.00240

Score over time

2024–2026

EPSS v3
EPSS v4
EPSS v5

Percentile over time

EPSS v3
EPSS v4
EPSS v5

Table of values (5 key points)

Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.

Date	Score	Percentile	Model
Oct 3, 2026	0.24% (0.00240)	13.69th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Jun 15, 2026	0.24% (0.00240)	14.82th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Mar 17, 2025	0.04% (0.00038)	8.30th	v4 (v2025.03.14)
Dec 12, 2024	0.04% (0.00042)	5.07th	v3 (v2023.03.01)
Aug 22, 2024	0.04% (0.00044)	10.88th	v3 (v2023.03.01)

Weaknesses (1)

CWE-476

NULL Pointer Dereference

References (11)

Link	Providers	Tags
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2022-48879		Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2306400		Issue Tracking
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ca71bc0e1995d15486cd7b60845602a28399cb5		Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/585a0b2b3ae7903c6abee3087d09c69e955a7794		Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fcf75a8a4c3e7ee9122d143684083c9faf20452		Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/703c13fe3c9af557d312f5895ed6a5fda2711104		Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/adc96d30f6503d30dc68670c013716f1d9fcc747		Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2ea55564229e4bea1474af15b111b3a3043b76f		Patch
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2024082107-CVE-2022-48879-63f6@gregkh/T
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-48879
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-48879