CVE-2022-50838

Host freeze via uncleared socket error queue

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

Denial of service in affected Linux kernels allows local users to exhaust kernel memory and freeze the host through crafted socket use. When SOF_TIMESTAMPING_TX_ACK and MSG_ZEROCOPY are combined, cloned buffers left in sk_error_queue retain ubuf_info socket references after close. A local process must create and close affected sockets with a nonempty error queue; repeated leaks can consume all kernel memory and freeze the host.

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

What happened

Denial of service in affected Linux kernels allows local users to exhaust kernel memory and freeze the host through crafted socket use. When SOF_TIMESTAMPING_TX_ACK and MSG_ZEROCOPY are combined, cloned buffers left in sk_error_queue retain ubuf_info socket references after close. A local process must create and close affected sockets with a nonempty error queue; repeated leaks can consume all kernel memory and freeze the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50838
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=24bcbe1cc69fa52dc4f7b5b2456678ed464724d8 <8c330c36b3970d0917f48827fa6c7a9c75aa4602
  2. Affected versionversion=24bcbe1cc69fa52dc4f7b5b2456678ed464724d8 <b458d349f8753f666233828ebd30df6f100cf7d5
  3. Affected versionversion=24bcbe1cc69fa52dc4f7b5b2456678ed464724d8 <e0c8bccd40fc1c19e1d246c39bcf79e357e1ada3
  4. Affected versionversion=3988164fe9ddf98ebf5b5cdede91ac38c5f08a7e <9da204cd67c4fe97e8aa465d10d5c2e7076f7f42
  5. Affected versionversion=4437f3ead9e85c35fe0e3adfb98c0b97eaa267eb
  6. Affected versionversion=5.16
  7. Affected versionversion=6ba975e14f5ebb87143d737c493adf4031409a68
  8. Affected versionversion=7737b104c211fa843de268b897d601e070292a72 <c8c1eec578a9ae2dc8f14a1846942a0b7bf29d1d
  9. Affected versionversion=89be5c357de34718eaaaefed80737f432c5ab86f <bab542cf56fc174c8447c00b73be99ffd66d2d39
  10. Affected versionversion=8b8b3d738e450d2c2ccdc75f0ab5a951746c2a96 <6f00bd0402a1e3d2d556afba57c045bd7931e4d3
  11. Affected versionversion=b631c603b5fb98d2bd709c35d384901965a3dd51 <4f1d37ff4226eb99d6b69e9f4518e279e1a851bf
  12. Affected versionversion=daf15fa1fd997749e881aedd9f03f73a11240e82 <9062493811676ee0efe6c74d98f00ca38c4e17d4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=24bcbe1cc69fa52dc4f7b5b2456678ed464724d8 <8c330c36b3970d0917f48827fa6c7a9c75aa4602; version=24bcbe1cc69fa52dc4f7b5b2456678ed464724d8 <b458d349f8753f666233828ebd30df6f100cf7d5; version=24bcbe1cc69fa52dc4f7b5b2456678ed464724d8 <e0c8bccd40fc1c19e1d246c39bcf79e357e1ada3; version=3988164fe9ddf98ebf5b5cdede91ac38c5f08a7e <9da204cd67c4fe97e8aa465d10d5c2e7076f7f42; version=4437f3ead9e85c35fe0e3adfb98c0b97eaa267eb; version=5.16; version=6ba975e14f5ebb87143d737c493adf4031409a68; version=7737b104c211fa843de268b897d601e070292a72 <c8c1eec578a9ae2dc8f14a1846942a0b7bf29d1d; version=89be5c357de34718eaaaefed80737f432c5ab86f <bab542cf56fc174c8447c00b73be99ffd66d2d39; version=8b8b3d738e450d2c2ccdc75f0ab5a951746c2a96 <6f00bd0402a1e3d2d556afba57c045bd7931e4d3; version=b631c603b5fb98d2bd709c35d384901965a3dd51 <4f1d37ff4226eb99d6b69e9f4518e279e1a851bf; version=daf15fa1fd997749e881aedd9f03f73a11240e82 <9062493811676ee0efe6c74d98f00ca38c4e17d4

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.

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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
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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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