CVE-2022-50481

Kernel crash via failed CXL device registration

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

A NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel CXL guest registration allows local users to crash the kernel after device registration fails. The cxl_register_afu() and cxl_register_adapter() error paths call device_unregister() for a device that device_register() never added, causing removal of an unregistered device. Reachability requires a registration failure during CXL guest AFU or adapter initialization; public sources do not identify how local users induce that failure.

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

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

A NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel CXL guest registration allows local users to crash the kernel after device registration fails. The cxl_register_afu() and cxl_register_adapter() error paths call device_unregister() for a device that device_register() never added, causing removal of an unregistered device. Reachability requires a registration failure during CXL guest AFU or adapter initialization; public sources do not identify how local users induce that failure.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50481
Published
Oct 4, 2025
Updated
Oct 4, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 4, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <170e8c2d2b61e15e7f7cfeded81bc1e959a15ed8
  2. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <1ae581696b7a799afa39a664c4b721569643f58a
  3. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <60b2ed21a65f3f5318666ccd765c3507991370cf
  4. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <61c80d1c3833e196256fb060382db94f24d3d9a7
  5. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <96fba6fb95bdede80583c262ac185da09661f264
  6. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <ab44c182353be101c3be9465e1d15d42130c53c4
  7. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <b32559ee4e6667c5c3daf4ec5454c277d1f255d2
  8. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <d775a1da5a52b4f4bb02f2707ba420d1bec48dbb
  9. Affected versionversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <e5021bbf11b024cc65ea1e84c377df484183be4b
  10. Affected versionversion=4.6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <170e8c2d2b61e15e7f7cfeded81bc1e959a15ed8; version=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <1ae581696b7a799afa39a664c4b721569643f58a; version=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <60b2ed21a65f3f5318666ccd765c3507991370cf; version=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <61c80d1c3833e196256fb060382db94f24d3d9a7; version=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <96fba6fb95bdede80583c262ac185da09661f264; version=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <ab44c182353be101c3be9465e1d15d42130c53c4; version=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <b32559ee4e6667c5c3daf4ec5454c277d1f255d2; version=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <d775a1da5a52b4f4bb02f2707ba420d1bec48dbb; version=14baf4d9c739e6e69150512d2eb23c71fffcc192 <e5021bbf11b024cc65ea1e84c377df484183be4b; version=4.6

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo