CVE-2022-50266

Kernel crash via enabled kprobe removal

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel kprobes allows local users to crash affected kernels by removing an enabled probe. The kill_kprobe() path sets KPROBE_FLAG_GONE before checking kprobe_disabled(), so the check always fails and leaves the ftrace probe armed instead of calling disarm_kprobe_ftrace(). Local low-privileged access and an enabled kprobe are required; the stale probe can reach kprobe_ftrace_handler and dereference a null pointer, interrupting the host.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel kprobes allows local users to crash affected kernels by removing an enabled probe. The kill_kprobe() path sets KPROBE_FLAG_GONE before checking kprobe_disabled(), so the check always fails and leaves the ftrace probe armed instead of calling disarm_kprobe_ftrace(). Local low-privileged access and an enabled kprobe are required; the stale probe can reach kprobe_ftrace_handler and dereference a null pointer, interrupting the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50266
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
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=2295608b44c91df767a5c68027f9c9e52ecb28e7
  2. Affected versionversion=247c62ebdfae450bb76dd89cd4724df6be07df75
  3. Affected versionversion=3031313eb3d549b7ad6f9fbcc52ba04412e3eb9e <0c76ef3f26d5ef2ac2c21b47e7620cff35809fbb
  4. Affected versionversion=3031313eb3d549b7ad6f9fbcc52ba04412e3eb9e <c909985dd0c0f74b61e3f8f0e04bf8aa9c8b97c7
  5. Affected versionversion=3031313eb3d549b7ad6f9fbcc52ba04412e3eb9e <f20a067f13106565816b4b6a6b665b2088a63824
  6. Affected versionversion=3995f7a60feceba6c8f762f4aff3184f90a1291d
  7. Affected versionversion=3c5f8d371b7fef3e3714c4a062c7f3b4aa41d122
  8. Affected versionversion=5.9
  9. Affected versionversion=9b55d84deec88c02b053a819acf08a6d471dda02
  10. Affected versionversion=ce7ff920092130f249b75f9fe177edb3362fefe8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2295608b44c91df767a5c68027f9c9e52ecb28e7; version=247c62ebdfae450bb76dd89cd4724df6be07df75; version=3031313eb3d549b7ad6f9fbcc52ba04412e3eb9e <0c76ef3f26d5ef2ac2c21b47e7620cff35809fbb; version=3031313eb3d549b7ad6f9fbcc52ba04412e3eb9e <c909985dd0c0f74b61e3f8f0e04bf8aa9c8b97c7; version=3031313eb3d549b7ad6f9fbcc52ba04412e3eb9e <f20a067f13106565816b4b6a6b665b2088a63824; version=3995f7a60feceba6c8f762f4aff3184f90a1291d; version=3c5f8d371b7fef3e3714c4a062c7f3b4aa41d122; version=5.9; version=9b55d84deec88c02b053a819acf08a6d471dda02; version=ce7ff920092130f249b75f9fe177edb3362fefe8

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.4Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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