CVE-2022-50642

Local kernel compromise via stale Type-C pointers

Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel allows local users to compromise the host during ChromeOS EC Type-C switch setup. When cros_typec_get_switch_handles fails to obtain any of four switch handles, it frees every handle but leaves the corresponding port fields unchanged, so later paths dereference or free stale pointers. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and the affected ChromeOS EC Type-C driver path; successful memory corruption compromises kernel confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity8.5
High
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

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel allows local users to compromise the host during ChromeOS EC Type-C switch setup. When cros_typec_get_switch_handles fails to obtain any of four switch handles, it frees every handle but leaves the corresponding port fields unchanged, so later paths dereference or free stale pointers. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and the affected ChromeOS EC Type-C driver path; successful memory corruption compromises kernel confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50642
Published
Dec 9, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=5.9
  2. Affected versionversion=f28adb41dab4a2795fd959750df57adffd2bb0be <0ceadb5a3e45f1b81cf54bd496b40a5e50b6bd40
  3. Affected versionversion=f28adb41dab4a2795fd959750df57adffd2bb0be <6613f36a2fa5c69e528bccba8b3d831f759dad2f
  4. Affected versionversion=f28adb41dab4a2795fd959750df57adffd2bb0be <9a8aadcf0b459c1257b9477fd6402e1d5952ae07
  5. Affected versionversion=f28adb41dab4a2795fd959750df57adffd2bb0be <b610758bb3e0674644c1255cdafc2f46b7e05ff9

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.9; version=f28adb41dab4a2795fd959750df57adffd2bb0be <0ceadb5a3e45f1b81cf54bd496b40a5e50b6bd40; version=f28adb41dab4a2795fd959750df57adffd2bb0be <6613f36a2fa5c69e528bccba8b3d831f759dad2f; version=f28adb41dab4a2795fd959750df57adffd2bb0be <9a8aadcf0b459c1257b9477fd6402e1d5952ae07; version=f28adb41dab4a2795fd959750df57adffd2bb0be <b610758bb3e0674644c1255cdafc2f46b7e05ff9

Published CVSS scores

7.8SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.5SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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