CVE-2022-50369

Local kernel crash via uninitialized workqueue destruction

Published Sep 17, 2025 · Updated Sep 17, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel VKMS allows local users to crash the kernel during module initialization under memory pressure. vkms_release() passes an uninitialized composer_workq pointer to destroy_workqueue() when an out-of-memory failure unwinds registration before vkms_crtc_init() allocates that queue. Reachability requires the VKMS driver to be loaded while the allocation failure occurs; the documented consequence is a kernel crash, not data access or privilege gain.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
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 VKMS allows local users to crash the kernel during module initialization under memory pressure. vkms_release() passes an uninitialized composer_workq pointer to destroy_workqueue() when an out-of-memory failure unwinds registration before vkms_crtc_init() allocates that queue. Reachability requires the VKMS driver to be loaded while the allocation failure occurs; the documented consequence is a kernel crash, not data access or privilege gain.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50369
Published
Sep 17, 2025
Updated
Sep 17, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 17, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 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=4.20
  2. Affected versionversion=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <0b8f390e2251191f1b179cc87f65d54c96565f0d
  3. Affected versionversion=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <1f9836f95271e7acf016667eee0aeae3386f9645
  4. Affected versionversion=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <2fe2a8f40c21161ffe7653cc234e7934db5b7cc5
  5. Affected versionversion=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <57031c474c3a920ea73afeb5dc352e537f5793ee
  6. Affected versionversion=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <596f1ba3987e601e31a5abf1f75ce1d2635aceac

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.20; version=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <0b8f390e2251191f1b179cc87f65d54c96565f0d; version=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <1f9836f95271e7acf016667eee0aeae3386f9645; version=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <2fe2a8f40c21161ffe7653cc234e7934db5b7cc5; version=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <57031c474c3a920ea73afeb5dc352e537f5793ee; version=6c234fe37c57627a5baf96f552afa1fae2b67d4d <596f1ba3987e601e31a5abf1f75ce1d2635aceac

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA ADP VulnrichmentCVSS: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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service Application 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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