Memory exhaustion via unreleased authentication secrets
Published May 1, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Memory exhaustion in Linux kernel 6.0 allows local users to interrupt service by repeatedly replacing NVMe target DH-HMAC-CHAP secrets. In nvmet_auth_set_key, each new controller or host secret replaces a pointer without freeing the prior allocation. Local access and low privileges are required; repeated secret changes can exhaust kernel memory and interrupt service.
Summary
What happened
Memory exhaustion in Linux kernel 6.0 allows local users to interrupt service by repeatedly replacing NVMe target DH-HMAC-CHAP secrets. In nvmet_auth_set_key, each new controller or host secret replaces a pointer without freeing the prior allocation. Local access and low privileges are required; repeated secret changes can exhaust kernel memory and interrupt service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49807
- Published
- May 1, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-401, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 1, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=6.0
- Affected versionversion=db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821 <0a52566279b4ee65ecd2503d7b7342851f84755c
- Affected versionversion=db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821 <65710ea51d4a185592c7b14c9e33d0c4a364f074
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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