CVE-2022-49620 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's Transparent Inter-Process Communication (TIPC) subsystem. The issue pertains to a potential reference count leak in the function tipc_sk_create(), which is responsible for creating socket structures used by TIPC. Specifically, if the function tipc_sk_insert() fails during the socket insertion process, the allocated socket structure (sk) is not properly freed, leading to a reference count leak. This leak can cause resource exhaustion over time, potentially degrading system performance or causing denial of service (DoS) conditions. The vulnerability arises from improper error handling and resource management within the kernel networking stack. The fix involves ensuring that the socket structure is freed in the failure path of tipc_sk_insert(), preventing the leak. The vulnerability affects certain versions of the Linux kernel as indicated by the provided commit hashes, though exact version numbers are not specified. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no CVSS score has been assigned. The vulnerability does not appear to allow direct code execution or privilege escalation but can impact system stability and availability due to resource leakage.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-49620 primarily concerns system availability and stability. Organizations running Linux servers or infrastructure that utilize the TIPC protocol—commonly used in clustered or telecom environments—may experience gradual resource depletion leading to degraded performance or service outages. This could affect critical services relying on Linux-based systems, including telecommunications providers, cloud service operators, and enterprises with clustered Linux environments. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or integrity, the resulting denial of service conditions could disrupt business operations, cause downtime, and increase operational costs. Given the widespread use of Linux in European data centers and telecom infrastructure, unpatched systems could be vulnerable to exploitation through repeated triggering of the leak, especially in high-load or long-running environments.

To mitigate CVE-2022-49620, European organizations should prioritize updating their Linux kernel to the latest patched versions that include the fix for the TIPC reference count leak. Kernel updates should be tested and deployed promptly in production environments, especially on systems running TIPC or clustered services. Administrators should monitor system resource usage, particularly socket allocations and memory consumption, to detect abnormal patterns indicative of leaks. Implementing resource limits and watchdog mechanisms can help prevent system exhaustion. Additionally, organizations should review their use of TIPC and assess whether it is necessary or if alternative communication protocols could be used. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, temporarily disabling TIPC or restricting access to TIPC sockets may reduce exposure. Maintaining robust system monitoring and alerting for kernel-level anomalies will aid in early detection of exploitation attempts.