Kernel memory leak via failed DSA VLAN setup
Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025
Memory leak in affected Linux kernel releases allows attackers to retain kernel memory via a failed DSA VLAN setup. In net/dsa/tag_8021q.c, dsa_tag_8021q_register() returns after dsa_tag_8021q_setup() fails without freeing the switch's allocated tag_8021q context. Reachability requires a DSA switch using 802.1Q tagging and a VLAN-installation failure; Linux has not published an attacker-controlled path or any further consequence.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in affected Linux kernel releases allows attackers to retain kernel memory via a failed DSA VLAN setup. In net/dsa/tag_8021q.c, dsa_tag_8021q_register() returns after dsa_tag_8021q_setup() fails without freeing the switch's allocated tag_8021q context. Reachability requires a DSA switch using 802.1Q tagging and a VLAN-installation failure; Linux has not published an attacker-controlled path or any further consequence.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-50837
- Published
- Dec 30, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 30, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- 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=328621f6131f667c5c328bb72d45442fd76efb81 <09f30f394e832ed09859b6a80fdd20668a9104ff
- Affected versionversion=328621f6131f667c5c328bb72d45442fd76efb81 <14ed46a13aba42a6ddd85de6f6274090df3586a5
- Affected versionversion=328621f6131f667c5c328bb72d45442fd76efb81 <39691d51af99f80efb9e365f94b8e0c791fa1a2f
- Affected versionversion=328621f6131f667c5c328bb72d45442fd76efb81 <e095493091e850d5292ad01d8fbf5cde1d89ac53
- Affected versionversion=5.15
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
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