CVE-2022-50139

Service interruption via device-tree reference leak

Published Jun 18, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Reference-count leakage in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service through Aspeed virtual hub initialization. In ast_vhub_init_desc(), of_get_child_by_name() increments a device-tree node reference, but the function omits the matching of_node_put() release. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a system using the Aspeed virtual USB hub; accumulated references can exhaust kernel resources and interrupt service.

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

Reference-count leakage in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service through Aspeed virtual hub initialization. In ast_vhub_init_desc(), of_get_child_by_name() increments a device-tree node reference, but the function omits the matching of_node_put() release. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a system using the Aspeed virtual USB hub; accumulated references can exhaust kernel resources and interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50139
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=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <0e0a40c803643f4edc30f0660f2f3bea4d57a99a
  2. Affected versionversion=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <220fafb4ed04187e9c17be4152da5a7f2ffbdd8c
  3. Affected versionversion=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <3503305225ca24c3229414c769323fb8bf39b4bf
  4. Affected versionversion=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <4070f3c83cd28267f469a59751480ad39435f26a
  5. Affected versionversion=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <e6db5780c2bf6e23be7b315809ef349b4b4f2213
  6. Affected versionversion=5.8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <0e0a40c803643f4edc30f0660f2f3bea4d57a99a; version=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <220fafb4ed04187e9c17be4152da5a7f2ffbdd8c; version=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <3503305225ca24c3229414c769323fb8bf39b4bf; version=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <4070f3c83cd28267f469a59751480ad39435f26a; version=30d2617fd7ed052c30d1c21ddd4af4703d922be8 <e6db5780c2bf6e23be7b315809ef349b4b4f2213; version=5.8

Published CVSS scores

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

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.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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