CVE-2022-50635

Kernel crash via ftrace kprobe NULL dereference

Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux PowerPC kprobes 5.8 through 6.0.2 allows local users with root access to crash the kernel. arch_prepare_kprobe() reads prev->ainsn.insn without first excluding an adjacent ftrace-based kprobe, whose instruction slot is NULL. Exploitation requires root access to the kprobe events interface on an affected PowerPC kernel and causes a kernel Oops and service interruption.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.20%
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 PowerPC kprobes 5.8 through 6.0.2 allows local users with root access to crash the kernel. arch_prepare_kprobe() reads prev->ainsn.insn without first excluding an adjacent ftrace-based kprobe, whose instruction slot is NULL. Exploitation requires root access to the kprobe events interface on an affected PowerPC kernel and causes a kernel Oops and service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50635
Published
Dec 9, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record 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=5.8
  2. Affected versionversion=b4657f7650babc9bfb41ce875abe41b18604a105 <4eac4f6a86ae73ef4b772d37398beeba2fbfde4e
  3. Affected versionversion=b4657f7650babc9bfb41ce875abe41b18604a105 <5fd1b369387c53ee6c774ab86e32e362a1e537ac
  4. Affected versionversion=b4657f7650babc9bfb41ce875abe41b18604a105 <7f536a8cb62dd5c084f112373fc34cdb5168a813
  5. Affected versionversion=b4657f7650babc9bfb41ce875abe41b18604a105 <97f88a3d723162781d6cbfdc7b9617eefab55b19

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.8; version=b4657f7650babc9bfb41ce875abe41b18604a105 <4eac4f6a86ae73ef4b772d37398beeba2fbfde4e; version=b4657f7650babc9bfb41ce875abe41b18604a105 <5fd1b369387c53ee6c774ab86e32e362a1e537ac; version=b4657f7650babc9bfb41ce875abe41b18604a105 <7f536a8cb62dd5c084f112373fc34cdb5168a813; version=b4657f7650babc9bfb41ce875abe41b18604a105 <97f88a3d723162781d6cbfdc7b9617eefab55b19

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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

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Your stack

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