---
id: CVE-2022-50481
title: 'cxl: fix possible null-ptr-deref in cxl_guest_init_afu|adapter()'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  cxl: fix possible null-ptr-deref in cxl_guest_init_afu|adapter()

  If device_register() fails in cxl_register_afu|adapter(), the device
  is not added, device_unregister()…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    96fba6fb95bdede80583c262ac185da09661f264
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    1ae581696b7a799afa39a664c4b721569643f58a
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    d775a1da5a52b4f4bb02f2707ba420d1bec48dbb
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    60b2ed21a65f3f5318666ccd765c3507991370cf
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    170e8c2d2b61e15e7f7cfeded81bc1e959a15ed8
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    e5021bbf11b024cc65ea1e84c377df484183be4b
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    b32559ee4e6667c5c3daf4ec5454c277d1f255d2
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    ab44c182353be101c3be9465e1d15d42130c53c4
  - >-
    Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <
    61c80d1c3833e196256fb060382db94f24d3d9a7
  - Linux 4.6
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-05T20:12:05.145213Z'
published: '2025-10-04'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T20:20:48.495Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50481'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96fba6fb95bdede80583c262ac185da09661f264'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ae581696b7a799afa39a664c4b721569643f58a'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d775a1da5a52b4f4bb02f2707ba420d1bec48dbb'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/60b2ed21a65f3f5318666ccd765c3507991370cf'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/170e8c2d2b61e15e7f7cfeded81bc1e959a15ed8'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5021bbf11b024cc65ea1e84c377df484183be4b'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b32559ee4e6667c5c3daf4ec5454c277d1f255d2'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab44c182353be101c3be9465e1d15d42130c53c4'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/61c80d1c3833e196256fb060382db94f24d3d9a7'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00163
epssPercentile: 0.05555
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T22:38:31.740Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

cxl: fix possible null-ptr-deref in cxl_guest_init_afu|adapter()

If device_register() fails in cxl_register_afu|adapter(), the device
is not added, device_unregister() can not be called in the error path,
otherwise it will cause a null-ptr-deref because of removing not added
device.

As comment of device_register() says, it should use put_device() to give
up the reference in the error path. So split device_unregister() into
device_del() and put_device(), then goes to put dev when register fails.

## Affected

- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < 96fba6fb95bdede80583c262ac185da09661f264`
- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < 1ae581696b7a799afa39a664c4b721569643f58a`
- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < d775a1da5a52b4f4bb02f2707ba420d1bec48dbb`
- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < 60b2ed21a65f3f5318666ccd765c3507991370cf`
- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < 170e8c2d2b61e15e7f7cfeded81bc1e959a15ed8`
- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < e5021bbf11b024cc65ea1e84c377df484183be4b`
- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < b32559ee4e6667c5c3daf4ec5454c277d1f255d2`
- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < ab44c182353be101c3be9465e1d15d42130c53c4`
- `Linux >= 14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 < 61c80d1c3833e196256fb060382db94f24d3d9a7`
- `Linux 4.6`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.