CVE-2022-50751

Local service interruption via configfs refcount leak

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Memory leak in Linux kernel 2.6.16 and later before branch fixes allows local users to exhaust memory via failed configfs registration. The configfs_create_dir error path removes one configfs_make_dirent reference but lacks an inode teardown to release the remaining reference. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and a configfs subsystem registration failure; repeated leaks can interrupt the host.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in Linux kernel 2.6.16 and later before branch fixes allows local users to exhaust memory via failed configfs registration. The configfs_create_dir error path removes one configfs_make_dirent reference but lacks an inode teardown to release the remaining reference. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and a configfs subsystem registration failure; repeated leaks can interrupt the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50751
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
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=2.6.16
  2. Affected versionversion=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <07f82dca112262b169bec0001378126439cab776
  3. Affected versionversion=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <74ac7c9ee2d486c501e7864c903f5098fc477acd
  4. Affected versionversion=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <8bc77754224a2c8581727ffe2e958119b4e27c8f
  5. Affected versionversion=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <90c38f57a821499391526b15cc944c265bd24e48
  6. Affected versionversion=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <c65234b283a65cfbfc94619655e820a5e55199eb
  7. Affected versionversion=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <c72eb6e6e49a71f7598740786568fafdd013a227

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.16; version=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <07f82dca112262b169bec0001378126439cab776; version=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <74ac7c9ee2d486c501e7864c903f5098fc477acd; version=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <8bc77754224a2c8581727ffe2e958119b4e27c8f; version=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <90c38f57a821499391526b15cc944c265bd24e48; version=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <c65234b283a65cfbfc94619655e820a5e55199eb; version=7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa <c72eb6e6e49a71f7598740786568fafdd013a227

Published CVSS scores

5.5Amazon LinuxCVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
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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