CVE-2022-50538

Kernel crash via ignored registration failure

Published Oct 7, 2025 · Updated Oct 7, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the VME fake driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel during failed module removal. The fake_init function ignores an error from __root_device_register, leaves vme_root invalid, and later passes it to root_device_unregister. Local access and a loaded vme_fake module are required; the reported consequence is a kernel crash 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

NULL pointer dereference in the VME fake driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel during failed module removal. The fake_init function ignores an error from __root_device_register, leaves vme_root invalid, and later passes it to root_device_unregister. Local access and a loaded vme_fake module are required; the reported consequence is a kernel crash without data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50538
Published
Oct 7, 2025
Updated
Oct 7, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 7, 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=4.9
  2. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <09be0e7ac5f9374b6f8de72c89ed67129af71f65
  3. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <37d3de40c1ffb6a5e626bf46ff5ef5766c824e2c
  4. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <4bc217b25ea81034fad8e33fd33e4659f086421d
  5. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <60ff9bd4ffc87bace581e235a6728f5ac8e5071f
  6. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <69b43937f14bdc3594f57f1a507a14f3d1187136
  7. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <7bef797d707f1744f71156b21d41e3b8c946631f
  8. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <a2a93546d414c7fe4862b87183fb737d1300d9d2
  9. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <e831fdd60e5863ee03173baf5a0f7c5450b44381
  10. Affected versionversion=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <f3f65c4177846c483bf009f8c512ab04b3c62466

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.9; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <09be0e7ac5f9374b6f8de72c89ed67129af71f65; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <37d3de40c1ffb6a5e626bf46ff5ef5766c824e2c; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <4bc217b25ea81034fad8e33fd33e4659f086421d; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <60ff9bd4ffc87bace581e235a6728f5ac8e5071f; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <69b43937f14bdc3594f57f1a507a14f3d1187136; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <7bef797d707f1744f71156b21d41e3b8c946631f; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <a2a93546d414c7fe4862b87183fb737d1300d9d2; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <e831fdd60e5863ee03173baf5a0f7c5450b44381; version=658bcdae9c6755806e66b33e29d56b33a3ff421a <f3f65c4177846c483bf009f8c512ab04b3c62466

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS: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
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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