CVE-2022-42703 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel virtual-memory reverse-mapping code in mm/rmap.c. The flaw affects is_mergeable_anon_vma() and arises from incorrect double reuse of a leaf anon_vma object. Repeated process-fork and memory-management operations can trigger reuse of an object after it has been freed. Upstream Linux kernel versions before 5.19.7 are affected; enterprise distributions with backported kernels are affected where the corresponding vendor fix has not been applied.
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What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
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Patch, then assume compromise.
1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.
This repository is a proof-of-concept (PoC) local privilege escalation exploit targeting Linux kernel (specifically 5.15.103, but the technique is more general) inspired by CVE-2022-42703 and related research by Project Zero. The exploit demonstrates how to leverage a custom vulnerable kernel module (vuln.ko) that provides an arbitrary kernel memory write primitive via ioctl on /dev/vuln. The exploit (exp.c) orchestrates a complex attack: it uses hardware breakpoints and the cpu_entry_area (which is not randomized by KASLR) to leak the kernel stack canary and KASLR base, then constructs a ROP chain to escalate privileges by calling commit_creds(init_cred). The exploit is designed to run in a QEMU virtual machine with a custom kernel and rootfs, as set up by boot.sh. The repository includes supporting headers, a FUSE-based helper, and scripts for building and running the exploit environment. The main entry point is exp.c, which interacts with /dev/vuln and performs the full exploitation chain. The exploit is a PoC and requires a controlled environment with the vulnerable module loaded; it is not weaponized for real-world attacks but demonstrates a powerful exploitation technique against modern Linux kernel mitigations.
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
15 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
Unknown (the content only lists a blog post title indicating exploitation of CVE-2022-42703, without describing the affected component, impact, or conditions).
Linux kernel anonymous-VMA reuse use-after-free vulnerability.
Linux memory-management use-after-free involving anonymous VMAs.
Linux kernel anonymous-VMA use-after-free.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.