CVE-2022-50740

Kernel-memory consumption via unreleased transmit URBs

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Memory leak in the ath9k USB Wi-Fi driver in affected Linux kernels allows attackers to consume kernel memory via unspecified vectors. The ath9k_hif_usb_dealloc_tx_urbs() path acquires an extra URB reference before usb_kill_urb() returns early for uninitialized device or endpoint fields, leaving that reference unreleased. Exposure requires the ath9k USB transmit-buffer cleanup path; the published record identifies no attacker-controlled trigger, and the bounded result is accumulated unreleased URB memory.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Memory leak in the ath9k USB Wi-Fi driver in affected Linux kernels allows attackers to consume kernel memory via unspecified vectors. The ath9k_hif_usb_dealloc_tx_urbs() path acquires an extra URB reference before usb_kill_urb() returns early for uninitialized device or endpoint fields, leaving that reference unreleased. Exposure requires the ath9k USB transmit-buffer cleanup path; the published record identifies no attacker-controlled trigger, and the bounded result is accumulated unreleased URB memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50740
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <08aa0537ec8cf29ceccae98acc1a534fc12598c1
  2. Affected versionversion=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <c05189a429fdb371dd455c3c466d67ac2ebff152
  3. Affected versionversion=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <c2a94de38c74e86f49124ac14f093d6a5c377a90
  4. Affected versionversion=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <c3fb3e9a2c0c1a0fa492d90eb19bcfa92a5f884d
  5. Affected versionversion=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <d856f7574bcc1d81de565a857caf32f122cd7ce0
  6. Affected versionversion=2d72d5ce63c92f56b9f978e8befb5838144176b9
  7. Affected versionversion=5.10
  8. Affected versionversion=6f0706ef39fecc6bf56d67728fe0c94e26b43e9d <134ae5eba41294eff76e4be20d6001b8f0192207
  9. Affected versionversion=795d57a558d106b8a5bc2bd7aeaf707d9a099244 <472312fef2b9eccaa03bd59e0ab2527da945e736
  10. Affected versionversion=7f5972267295fe49f8da8eb42bc2eb3d140860c0
  11. Affected versionversion=a9990ed2d7ca9339d37c7f67d6f5cb298c3f1b34 <9850791d389b342ae6e573fe8198db0b4d338352
  12. Affected versionversion=b92e116ae36f498858dbb18e29a066c3f5348965
  13. Affected versionversion=df4318440c1568b7dedc5f7d4e617d0e297a1313 <eddbb8f7620f9f8008b090a6e10c460074ca575a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <08aa0537ec8cf29ceccae98acc1a534fc12598c1; version=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <c05189a429fdb371dd455c3c466d67ac2ebff152; version=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <c2a94de38c74e86f49124ac14f093d6a5c377a90; version=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <c3fb3e9a2c0c1a0fa492d90eb19bcfa92a5f884d; version=03fb92a432ea5abe5909bca1455b7e44a9380480 <d856f7574bcc1d81de565a857caf32f122cd7ce0; version=2d72d5ce63c92f56b9f978e8befb5838144176b9; version=5.10; version=6f0706ef39fecc6bf56d67728fe0c94e26b43e9d <134ae5eba41294eff76e4be20d6001b8f0192207; version=795d57a558d106b8a5bc2bd7aeaf707d9a099244 <472312fef2b9eccaa03bd59e0ab2527da945e736; version=7f5972267295fe49f8da8eb42bc2eb3d140860c0; version=a9990ed2d7ca9339d37c7f67d6f5cb298c3f1b34 <9850791d389b342ae6e573fe8198db0b4d338352; version=b92e116ae36f498858dbb18e29a066c3f5348965; version=df4318440c1568b7dedc5f7d4e617d0e297a1313 <eddbb8f7620f9f8008b090a6e10c460074ca575a

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.

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)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo