CVE-2022-49891

Service interruption via unreleased kprobe test buffers

Published May 1, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Memory leak in the Linux kernel allows local users loading the kprobe test module to consume kernel memory through module initialization. In kernel/trace/kprobe_event_gen_test.c, test_gen_kprobe_cmd() and test_gen_kretprobe_cmd() allocate command buffers but release them only on failure, leaving each buffer allocated after successful initialization. Reaching the flaw requires local module-loading privileges, and repeated loads can exhaust kernel memory and interrupt service without disclosing or altering data.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in the Linux kernel allows local users loading the kprobe test module to consume kernel memory through module initialization. In kernel/trace/kprobe_event_gen_test.c, test_gen_kprobe_cmd() and test_gen_kretprobe_cmd() allocate command buffers but release them only on failure, leaving each buffer allocated after successful initialization. Reaching the flaw requires local module-loading privileges, and repeated loads can exhaust kernel memory and interrupt service without disclosing or altering data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-49891
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

  1. May 1, 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=5.6
  2. Affected versionversion=64836248dda20c8e7427b493f7e06d9bf8f58850 <66f0919c953ef7b55e5ab94389a013da2ce80a2c
  3. Affected versionversion=64836248dda20c8e7427b493f7e06d9bf8f58850 <71aeb8d01a8c7ab5cf7da3f81b35206f56ce6bca
  4. Affected versionversion=64836248dda20c8e7427b493f7e06d9bf8f58850 <bef08acbe560a926b4cee9cc46404cc98ae5703b
  5. Affected versionversion=64836248dda20c8e7427b493f7e06d9bf8f58850 <d1b6a8e3414aeaa0985139180c145d2d0fbd2a49

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.6; version=64836248dda20c8e7427b493f7e06d9bf8f58850 <66f0919c953ef7b55e5ab94389a013da2ce80a2c; version=64836248dda20c8e7427b493f7e06d9bf8f58850 <71aeb8d01a8c7ab5cf7da3f81b35206f56ce6bca; version=64836248dda20c8e7427b493f7e06d9bf8f58850 <bef08acbe560a926b4cee9cc46404cc98ae5703b; version=64836248dda20c8e7427b493f7e06d9bf8f58850 <d1b6a8e3414aeaa0985139180c145d2d0fbd2a49

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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

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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)
Vectorlocal
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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