CVE-2022-50731

Kernel crash via missing akcipher private-key stub

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Affected Linux kernel branches starting at 5.2 allow local users to crash the kernel through an unsupported akcipher private-key operation. In crypto/akcipher.c, set_priv_key lacks a default error stub, so a transform that implements verification but not signing calls a NULL callback. A local user must reach the kernel asymmetric-key API and select such an algorithm; the bounded consequence is a host-wide kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Affected Linux kernel branches starting at 5.2 allow local users to crash the kernel through an unsupported akcipher private-key operation. In crypto/akcipher.c, set_priv_key lacks a default error stub, so a transform that implements verification but not signing calls a NULL callback. A local user must reach the kernel asymmetric-key API and select such an algorithm; the bounded consequence is a host-wide kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50731
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 24, 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=5.2
  2. Affected versionversion=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <779a9930f3e152c82699feb389a0e6d6644e747e
  3. Affected versionversion=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <85bc736a18b872f54912e8bb70682d11770aece0
  4. Affected versionversion=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <95c4e20adc3ea00d1594a2a05d9b187ed12ffa8e
  5. Affected versionversion=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <a1354bdd191d533211b7cb723aa76a66f516f197
  6. Affected versionversion=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <bc155c6c188c2f0c5749993b1405673d25a80389
  7. Affected versionversion=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <f9058178597059d6307efe96a7916600f8ede08c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.2; version=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <779a9930f3e152c82699feb389a0e6d6644e747e; version=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <85bc736a18b872f54912e8bb70682d11770aece0; version=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <95c4e20adc3ea00d1594a2a05d9b187ed12ffa8e; version=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <a1354bdd191d533211b7cb723aa76a66f516f197; version=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <bc155c6c188c2f0c5749993b1405673d25a80389; version=78a0324f4a5328088fea9426cfe1d1851276c475 <f9058178597059d6307efe96a7916600f8ede08c

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS: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

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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