CVE-2022-50242

Kernel memory exhaustion via leaked VP allocations

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Memory leak in the qlcnic SR-IOV initialization path in Linux allows local users to exhaust kernel memory during device setup. qlcnic_sriov_init allocates VP objects in a loop but returns after a later allocation failure without freeing objects created by earlier iterations. Reachability requires local access, the qlcnic driver, SR-IOV initialization, and a VP allocation failure; the resulting leak can interrupt service by consuming kernel memory.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

Memory leak in the qlcnic SR-IOV initialization path in Linux allows local users to exhaust kernel memory during device setup. qlcnic_sriov_init allocates VP objects in a loop but returns after a later allocation failure without freeing objects created by earlier iterations. Reachability requires local access, the qlcnic driver, SR-IOV initialization, and a VP allocation failure; the resulting leak can interrupt service by consuming kernel memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50242
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.001
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

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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=3.10
  2. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <01de1123322e4fe1bbd0fcdf0982511b55519c03
  3. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <0aefadf23ee5e33b747df195ace42d3be2025e4e
  4. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <132c502919bb08e16e3054cb28bb7b149ec20cf5
  5. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <14b349a15c297cf3e01b5deb4116f7cf297b6184
  6. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <15770edc01edfce773269e8a443ca8e420f6f859
  7. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <8399b9893548c03fdb18be277bf99d985dbde925
  8. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <a44490abaf00f5b0cc5c448a17eae331c6195d0a
  9. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <aa2d179544b6815b4a23c0c44543ba0971d49fce
  10. Affected versionversion=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <dcae92a249551d1a447804b4be1c9fab0e8c95e8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.10; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <01de1123322e4fe1bbd0fcdf0982511b55519c03; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <0aefadf23ee5e33b747df195ace42d3be2025e4e; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <132c502919bb08e16e3054cb28bb7b149ec20cf5; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <14b349a15c297cf3e01b5deb4116f7cf297b6184; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <15770edc01edfce773269e8a443ca8e420f6f859; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <8399b9893548c03fdb18be277bf99d985dbde925; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <a44490abaf00f5b0cc5c448a17eae331c6195d0a; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <aa2d179544b6815b4a23c0c44543ba0971d49fce; version=f197a7aa62888f27c9a7976b18eb4f040f6606ce <dcae92a249551d1a447804b4be1c9fab0e8c95e8

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

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.001OS Exhaustion Flood

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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