Kernel memory leak via unreleased driver allocations
Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
A memory leak in the ipw2200 wireless driver in Linux allows attackers to leave kernel memory allocated via unspecified vectors. The ipw_wdev_init error path returns without releasing its allocated wireless device, and ipw_pci_probe likewise omits a release on a probe failure. The public record does not identify who can force these initialization failures, whether they can be repeated, or whether the leak interrupts service.
Summary
What happened
A memory leak in the ipw2200 wireless driver in Linux allows attackers to leave kernel memory allocated via unspecified vectors. The ipw_wdev_init error path returns without releasing its allocated wireless device, and ipw_pci_probe likewise omits a release on a probe failure. The public record does not identify who can force these initialization failures, whether they can be repeated, or whether the leak interrupts service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-50660
- Published
- Dec 9, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=2.6.33
- Affected versionversion=a3caa99e6c68f466c13cfea74097f6fb01b45e25 <112c1af02b8f535baf42ef9d807aea963705ef15
- Affected versionversion=a3caa99e6c68f466c13cfea74097f6fb01b45e25 <1f590fb3d14e5db3a9e06ee141b1685c429278ce
- Affected versionversion=a3caa99e6c68f466c13cfea74097f6fb01b45e25 <62ec7e8bf42f1542f966dda687c654aae81718c8
- Affected versionversion=a3caa99e6c68f466c13cfea74097f6fb01b45e25 <75d20ba9506eb90d92e660e04dd887ff1495fcc3
- Affected versionversion=a3caa99e6c68f466c13cfea74097f6fb01b45e25 <8a2eb9d9d0c1535bc8e22840193bff4cdcac878b
- Affected versionversion=a3caa99e6c68f466c13cfea74097f6fb01b45e25 <9424ea9d557ef41d86eb40b6349ae991c3dcff89
- Affected versionversion=a3caa99e6c68f466c13cfea74097f6fb01b45e25 <9fe21dc626117fb44a8eb393713a86a620128ce3
- Affected versionversion=a3caa99e6c68f466c13cfea74097f6fb01b45e25 <fb3517b92a45c8004ac26250ae041a24eb23fef1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
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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