Kernel crash via unsynchronized zspage page migration
Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Race condition in Linux kernel zsmalloc allows local users to crash the kernel through concurrent page migration activity. The asynchronous zspage-free worker's lock_zspage() traversal does not synchronize with migration, so it can follow torn or cleared list pointers or dereference page_private() after a page leaves the zspage. Local low-privileged access and a migration race are required; successful exploitation can leave pages unlocked or trigger unsafe kernel pointer dereferences, resulting in a system crash.
Summary
What happened
Race condition in Linux kernel zsmalloc allows local users to crash the kernel through concurrent page migration activity. The asynchronous zspage-free worker's lock_zspage() traversal does not synchronize with migration, so it can follow torn or cleared list pointers or dereference page_private() after a page leaves the zspage. Local low-privileged access and a migration race are required; successful exploitation can leave pages unlocked or trigger unsafe kernel pointer dereferences, resulting in a system crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49554
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-362, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 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=4.14
- Affected versionversion=77ff465799c60294e248000cd22ae8171da3304c <2505a981114dcb715f8977b8433f7540854851d8
- Affected versionversion=77ff465799c60294e248000cd22ae8171da3304c <3674d8a8dadd03a447dd21069d4dacfc3399b63b
- Affected versionversion=77ff465799c60294e248000cd22ae8171da3304c <3ec459c8810e658401be428d3168eacfc380bdd0
- Affected versionversion=77ff465799c60294e248000cd22ae8171da3304c <645996efc2ae391246d595832aaa6f9d3cc338c7
- Affected versionversion=77ff465799c60294e248000cd22ae8171da3304c <8ba7b7c1dad1f6503c541778f31b33f7f62eb966
- Affected versionversion=77ff465799c60294e248000cd22ae8171da3304c <c5402fb5f71f1a725f1e55d9c6799c0c7bec308f
- Affected versionversion=77ff465799c60294e248000cd22ae8171da3304c <fae05b2314b147a78fbed1dc4c645d9a66313758
- Affected versionversion=77ff465799c60294e248000cd22ae8171da3304c <fc658c083904427abbf8f18280d517ee2668677c
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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