CVE-2022-49331 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's NFC (Near Field Communication) subsystem, specifically within the st21nfca driver responsible for handling NFC transactions. The issue arises from improper memory management in the EVT_TRANSACTION event handling code path, where error conditions fail to free previously allocated memory. This leads to memory leaks due to missing calls to devm_kfree() in failure paths. Memory leaks in kernel space can degrade system stability and performance over time, potentially leading to resource exhaustion. However, this vulnerability does not directly enable code execution or privilege escalation. The flaw is rooted in the kernel's NFC driver implementation and affects specific versions identified by the commit hash 26fc6c7f02cb26c39c4733de3dbc3c0646fc1074. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on February 26, 2025, and no known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The fix involves adding proper memory deallocation calls to ensure all allocated resources are freed on error paths, preventing the leak. Since the NFC subsystem is specialized and not universally enabled on all Linux systems, the impact is limited to systems using the affected NFC hardware and drivers.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-49331 is generally low to moderate. Organizations that deploy Linux systems with NFC capabilities—such as those using NFC for secure access control, contactless payments, or device pairing—may experience degraded system performance or stability if the vulnerability is exploited through repeated triggering of the memory leak. Over time, this could lead to denial of service conditions due to kernel memory exhaustion, affecting availability. However, the vulnerability does not appear to compromise confidentiality or integrity directly, nor does it allow remote code execution or privilege escalation. The lack of known exploits in the wild further reduces immediate risk. Nonetheless, organizations in sectors relying on NFC-enabled Linux devices, such as transportation, retail, or secure facility management, should be aware of this issue. Systems without NFC hardware or with the affected driver disabled are not impacted. Given the specialized nature of the vulnerability, widespread disruption is unlikely, but targeted attacks against critical NFC-enabled infrastructure could cause localized availability issues.

To mitigate CVE-2022-49331, European organizations should: 1) Apply the official Linux kernel patches that fix the memory leak in the st21nfca NFC driver as soon as they become available from trusted Linux distributions or the kernel maintainers. 2) Audit and inventory Linux systems to identify those with NFC hardware and the affected driver enabled, prioritizing patch deployment on these systems. 3) Where feasible, disable the NFC subsystem or the st21nfca driver on systems that do not require NFC functionality to reduce the attack surface. 4) Implement monitoring for unusual kernel memory usage or system instability that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5) Engage with hardware vendors to ensure firmware and driver updates align with kernel patches. 6) Incorporate this vulnerability into vulnerability management and incident response plans, ensuring rapid remediation and investigation if suspicious activity is detected. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on targeted identification and control of NFC-enabled Linux systems and proactive monitoring for memory-related anomalies.