CVE-2022-50452

Kernel crash via CAKE teardown null dereference

Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 1, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 4.19 through 6.1-rc1 allows local users to crash the kernel during failed CAKE qdisc setup. If cake_init() leaves q->tins NULL after kvcalloc() fails, cake_reset() calls cake_dequeue_one(), which indexes q->tins and triggers a general protection fault. Local low-privileged access, CAKE as the default qdisc, and a failed queue initialization are required; the fault interrupts the host.

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

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 4.19 through 6.1-rc1 allows local users to crash the kernel during failed CAKE qdisc setup. If cake_init() leaves q->tins NULL after kvcalloc() fails, cake_reset() calls cake_dequeue_one(), which indexes q->tins and triggers a general protection fault. Local low-privileged access, CAKE as the default qdisc, and a failed queue initialization are required; the fault interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50452
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 1, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
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=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <154f4c06d9dbec1a14e91286c70b6305810302e0
  2. Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <1dc0a019550fd38ec6cab2d73c90df2bd659c96b
  3. Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <51f9a8921ceacd7bf0d3f47fa867a64988ba1dcb
  4. Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <86aa1390898146f1de277bb6d2a8ed7fc7a43f12
  5. Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <ae48bee2830bf216800e1447baca39541e27a12e
  6. Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <bc8301ea7e7f1bb9d2ba2fcdf7b5ec2f0792b47e
  7. Affected versionversion=4.19

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <154f4c06d9dbec1a14e91286c70b6305810302e0; version=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <1dc0a019550fd38ec6cab2d73c90df2bd659c96b; version=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <51f9a8921ceacd7bf0d3f47fa867a64988ba1dcb; version=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <86aa1390898146f1de277bb6d2a8ed7fc7a43f12; version=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <ae48bee2830bf216800e1447baca39541e27a12e; version=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <bc8301ea7e7f1bb9d2ba2fcdf7b5ec2f0792b47e; version=4.19

Published CVSS scores

5.5CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 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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