CVE-2022-3551Network attack vector

Service interruption via unreleased XKB allocations

Published Oct 17, 2022 · Updated Apr 15, 2025

Resource leak in X.Org Server allows remote authenticated users to exhaust server memory through crafted XKB requests. ProcXkbGetKbdByName in xkb/xkb.c fails to release request-processing allocations when an error path is taken. An attacker needs an authorized X connection, and repeated requests can deplete memory until the server or host service is interrupted.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.86%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource leak in X.Org Server allows remote authenticated users to exhaust server memory through crafted XKB requests. ProcXkbGetKbdByName in xkb/xkb.c fails to release request-processing allocations when an error path is taken. An attacker needs an authorized X connection, and repeated requests can deplete memory until the server or host service is interrupted.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-3551
Published
Oct 17, 2022
Updated
Apr 15, 2025
Vendor
X.Org
Product
X.Org Server
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 17, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 15, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

X.Org · X.Org Serverversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
3.5VulDBCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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