CVE-2022-50043

Local service interruption via leaked neighbor references

Published Jun 18, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

A reference-count leak in Linux IPv6 neighbor discovery allows local users to exhaust memory and interrupt service. In ndisc_router_discovery(), a route deletion path nulls rt, then overwrites or abandons the existing neigh reference without decrementing it. Low-privileged local access must reach the nonzero-lifetime metric-change path; repeated triggers consume kernel memory without exposing or altering data.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A reference-count leak in Linux IPv6 neighbor discovery allows local users to exhaust memory and interrupt service. In ndisc_router_discovery(), a route deletion path nulls rt, then overwrites or abandons the existing neigh reference without decrementing it. Low-privileged local access must reach the nonzero-lifetime metric-change path; repeated triggers consume kernel memory without exposing or altering data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50043
Published
Jun 18, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 18, 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=5.12
  2. Affected versionversion=6b2e04bc240fe9be9e690059f710e9f95346d34d <7396ba87f1edf549284869451665c7c4e74ecd4f
  3. Affected versionversion=6b2e04bc240fe9be9e690059f710e9f95346d34d <7998043d31d000c3a93f46182e6569dd0eecda34
  4. Affected versionversion=6b2e04bc240fe9be9e690059f710e9f95346d34d <ffb15594433391fd7885eb88ce5a7f7bdeefbb15

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.12; version=6b2e04bc240fe9be9e690059f710e9f95346d34d <7396ba87f1edf549284869451665c7c4e74ecd4f; version=6b2e04bc240fe9be9e690059f710e9f95346d34d <7998043d31d000c3a93f46182e6569dd0eecda34; version=6b2e04bc240fe9be9e690059f710e9f95346d34d <ffb15594433391fd7885eb88ce5a7f7bdeefbb15

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS: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.

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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

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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