CVE-2022-50451

Kernel memory exhaustion via leaked NTFS3 mount options

Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 1, 2025

Memory leak in the NTFS3 mount path in the Linux kernel allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through repeated failed mounts. On ntfs_fill_super() error paths, mount options allocated during filesystem-context initialization remain unfreed, leaking 32 bytes per failure. Access to the local mount path is required, and the documented consequence is kernel-memory exhaustion without data disclosure or modification.

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 NTFS3 mount path in the Linux kernel allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through repeated failed mounts. On ntfs_fill_super() error paths, mount options allocated during filesystem-context initialization remain unfreed, leaking 32 bytes per failure. Access to the local mount path is required, and the documented consequence is kernel-memory exhaustion without data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50451
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 1, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 1, 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2600c80ea7b39f987c3fa89287e73d62e322bbbd
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2dd9ccfb06bcdad30ad92d96c3affa38a458679e
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <51e76a232f8c037f1d9e9922edc25b003d5f3414
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ff0df7d9cdbb12878155168b5234e99029e5377f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2600c80ea7b39f987c3fa89287e73d62e322bbbd; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2dd9ccfb06bcdad30ad92d96c3affa38a458679e; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <51e76a232f8c037f1d9e9922edc25b003d5f3414; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ff0df7d9cdbb12878155168b5234e99029e5377f

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5Canonical UbuntuCVSS: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

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

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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