CVE-2022-50845

Filesystem inode leak via failed dirty marking

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

Resource leak in the Linux kernel ext4 filesystem allows local users to leave unattached inodes through a faulted setxattr operation. ext4_xattr_inode_create() fails to drop the new inode's i_nlink when ext4_mark_inode_dirty() returns an error, so the inode remains allocated and unattached. The path requires an ext4 extended-attribute operation and an inode-dirtying failure; the demonstrated consequence is persistent filesystem inconsistency and lost inode capacity.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
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

Resource leak in the Linux kernel ext4 filesystem allows local users to leave unattached inodes through a faulted setxattr operation. ext4_xattr_inode_create() fails to drop the new inode's i_nlink when ext4_mark_inode_dirty() returns an error, so the inode remains allocated and unattached. The path requires an ext4 extended-attribute operation and an inode-dirtying failure; the demonstrated consequence is persistent filesystem inconsistency and lost inode capacity.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50845
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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

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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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0f709e08caffb41bbc9b38b9a4c1bd0769794007
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <322cf639b0b7f137543072c55545adab782b3a25
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <70e5b46beba64706430a87a6d516054225e8ac8a
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9882601ee689975c1c0076ee65bf222a2a35e535
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9ef603086c5b796fde1c7f22a17d0fc826ba54cb
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e4db04f7d3dbbe16680e0ded27ea2a65b10f766a
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <eab94a46560f68d4bcd15222701ced479f84f427
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fdaaf45786dc8c17a72901021772520fceb18f8c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0f709e08caffb41bbc9b38b9a4c1bd0769794007; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <322cf639b0b7f137543072c55545adab782b3a25; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <70e5b46beba64706430a87a6d516054225e8ac8a; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9882601ee689975c1c0076ee65bf222a2a35e535; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9ef603086c5b796fde1c7f22a17d0fc826ba54cb; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e4db04f7d3dbbe16680e0ded27ea2a65b10f766a; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <eab94a46560f68d4bcd15222701ced479f84f427; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fdaaf45786dc8c17a72901021772520fceb18f8c

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
Privilegesauthenticated
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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