CVE-2022-50234Public exploit

Local privilege escalation via registered-file use-after-free

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel allows local users to obtain root privileges through io_uring and AF_UNIX operations. unix_gc frees a registered file and the ring descriptor while an io_uring request still uses the file, leaving a dangling struct file that can be reclaimed before the request resumes. Local users without capabilities can control the race through io_uring syscalls and AF_UNIX SCM_RIGHTS cycles, enabling privileged file writes or a kernel panic.

CVSS severity8.5
High
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel allows local users to obtain root privileges through io_uring and AF_UNIX operations. unix_gc frees a registered file and the ring descriptor while an io_uring request still uses the file, leaving a dangling struct file that can be reclaimed before the request resumes. Local users without capabilities can control the race through io_uring syscalls and AF_UNIX SCM_RIGHTS cycles, enabling privileged file writes or a kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50234
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 15, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.1
  2. Affected versionversion=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <0091bfc81741b8d3aeb3b7ab8636f911b2de6e80
  3. Affected versionversion=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <04df9719df1865f6770af9bc7880874af0e594b2
  4. Affected versionversion=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <75e94c7e8859e58aadc15a98cc9704edff47d4f2
  5. Affected versionversion=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <813d8fe5d30388f73a21d3a2bf46b0a1fd72498c
  6. Affected versionversion=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <b4293c01ee0d0ecdd3cb5801e13f62271144667a
  7. Affected versionversion=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <c378c479c5175833bb22ff71974cda47d7b05401

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.1; version=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <0091bfc81741b8d3aeb3b7ab8636f911b2de6e80; version=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <04df9719df1865f6770af9bc7880874af0e594b2; version=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <75e94c7e8859e58aadc15a98cc9704edff47d4f2; version=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <813d8fe5d30388f73a21d3a2bf46b0a1fd72498c; version=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <b4293c01ee0d0ecdd3cb5801e13f62271144667a; version=6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f <c378c479c5175833bb22ff71974cda47d7b05401

Published CVSS scores

8.5Canonical UbuntuCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
7.8Canonical UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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