Undefined behavior via signed special-flag shift
Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025
A shift-out-of-bounds flaw in affected Linux kernel branches allows local users to trigger undefined behavior through binfmt_misc. In fs/binfmt_misc.c, check_special_flags sets bit 31 with a signed int literal even though Node.flags is unsigned long, so registration of the P flag performs an unrepresentable left shift. Reachability requires a mounted binfmt_misc filesystem and write access to its registration interface; the upstream advisory reports a UBSAN warning but does not establish a crash, disclosure, or privilege gain.
Summary
What happened
A shift-out-of-bounds flaw in affected Linux kernel branches allows local users to trigger undefined behavior through binfmt_misc. In fs/binfmt_misc.c, check_special_flags sets bit 31 with a signed int literal even though Node.flags is unsigned long, so registration of the P flag performs an unrepresentable left shift. Reachability requires a mounted binfmt_misc filesystem and write access to its registration interface; the upstream advisory reports a UBSAN warning but does not establish a crash, disclosure, or privilege gain.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-50497
- Published
- Oct 4, 2025
- Updated
- Oct 4, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-125
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 4, 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.
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0f1a48994b3e516d5c7fd5d12204fdba7a604771
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <419b808504c26b3e3342365f34ccd0843e09a7f8
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6a46bf558803dd2b959ca7435a5c143efe837217
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <88cea1676a09f7c45a1438153a126610c33b1590
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <97382a2639b1cd9631f6069061e9d7062cd2b098
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a651bb5ff997b9f02662bcdef3d8b4e6f0d79656
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a91123d4bda463469f68f0427adabf8108001f94
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dcbc51d31d0afbd45e830e3cf565a7b3ca7bf0d8
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ea6145370be8016755c43aca799815fc4b8c88b1
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
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