Kernel memory consumption via leaked GSS handle
Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025
Memory leak in Linux kernel SUNRPC authentication allows remote attackers to consume kernel memory via an oversized RPCSEC_GSS verifier. In gss_read_proxy_verf(), dup_netobj() allocates the incoming context handle before the code rejects a verifier length larger than the request buffer without freeing that handle. Each rejected request therefore leaves kernel memory allocated when the server-side gssproxy RPCGSS authentication path is enabled.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in Linux kernel SUNRPC authentication allows remote attackers to consume kernel memory via an oversized RPCSEC_GSS verifier. In gss_read_proxy_verf(), dup_netobj() allocates the incoming context handle before the code rejects a verifier length larger than the request buffer without freeing that handle. Each rejected request therefore leaves kernel memory allocated when the server-side gssproxy RPCGSS authentication path is enabled.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-50821
- Published
- Dec 30, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 30, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 30, 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.
- Affected versionversion=030d794bf49855f5e2a9e8dfbfad34211d1eb08b <2cd6026e257362f030c8be57abaf7fc0049df60a
- Affected versionversion=030d794bf49855f5e2a9e8dfbfad34211d1eb08b <67eb848161c2799f2007968ea3bc87adb15c9567
- Affected versionversion=030d794bf49855f5e2a9e8dfbfad34211d1eb08b <76f2497a2faa6a4e91efb94a7f55705b403273fd
- Affected versionversion=030d794bf49855f5e2a9e8dfbfad34211d1eb08b <aa91afe597401b78baa7d751c71eedb92c80bd4d
- Affected versionversion=030d794bf49855f5e2a9e8dfbfad34211d1eb08b <c9ded831e2552b9c3cab7e2591a190e94f9d29c0
- Affected versionversion=030d794bf49855f5e2a9e8dfbfad34211d1eb08b <d01fa993eb7fbc305f0a9c3e8bfac6513efc13b6
- Affected versionversion=030d794bf49855f5e2a9e8dfbfad34211d1eb08b <da522b5fe1a5f8b7c20a0023e87b52a150e53bf5
- Affected versionversion=3.10
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
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