CVE-2022-49546

Service interruption via leaked kdump ELF headers

Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

A memory leak in x86 kexec in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to exhaust memory through repeated kdump reloads. crash_prepare_elf64_headers() allocates an ELF-header buffer with vmalloc(), but the cleanup path fails to release it when the kdump kernel is reloaded or unloaded. The path requires local access with CAP_SYS_BOOT; repeated operations retain kernel memory and can interrupt service through resource exhaustion.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A memory leak in x86 kexec in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to exhaust memory through repeated kdump reloads. crash_prepare_elf64_headers() allocates an ELF-header buffer with vmalloc(), but the cleanup path fails to release it when the kdump kernel is reloaded or unloaded. The path requires local access with CAP_SYS_BOOT; repeated operations retain kernel memory and can interrupt service through resource exhaustion.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-49546
Published
Feb 26, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=3.17
  2. Affected versionversion=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833
  3. Affected versionversion=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a
  4. Affected versionversion=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248
  5. Affected versionversion=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57
  6. Affected versionversion=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcb

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.17; version=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833; version=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a; version=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248; version=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57; version=dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a <f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcb

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.001OS Exhaustion Flood

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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