Local writeback hang via blocking mempool allocation
Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Infinite-loop denial of service in Linux kernel NFS allows local users to hang writeback threads during low-memory writeback. The NFS writeback allocation paths in fs/nfs/pagelist.c and fs/nfs/write.c use blocking mempool_alloc() calls, so workers wait indefinitely when depleted pools cannot be replenished. Triggering requires local access, NFS-backed writes, and memory pressure; the bounded consequence is stalled NFS writeback and loss of I/O availability.
Summary
What happened
Infinite-loop denial of service in Linux kernel NFS allows local users to hang writeback threads during low-memory writeback. The NFS writeback allocation paths in fs/nfs/pagelist.c and fs/nfs/write.c use blocking mempool_alloc() calls, so workers wait indefinitely when depleted pools cannot be replenished. Triggering requires local access, NFS-backed writes, and memory pressure; the bounded consequence is stalled NFS writeback and loss of I/O availability.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49097
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-835, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=2b17d725f9be59a1bfa0583af690c463fca1f385 <0bae835b63c53f86cdc524f5962e39409585b22c
- Affected versionversion=2b17d725f9be59a1bfa0583af690c463fca1f385 <1b3fa9a3c420c31e77b406ddc28f3a627100516c
- Affected versionversion=2b17d725f9be59a1bfa0583af690c463fca1f385 <a6caeddd68977a1aaaf62fbd1955b41dd5c3c5d3
- Affected versionversion=2b17d725f9be59a1bfa0583af690c463fca1f385 <c74e2f6ecc51bd08bb5b0335477dba954a50592e
- Affected versionversion=2b17d725f9be59a1bfa0583af690c463fca1f385 <ea029e4ce760f786919d06ef52efa2e50ea92a5f
- Affected versionversion=5.3
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Technologies
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