CVE-2022-50860

Kernel memory corruption via AppArmor invalid free

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

Memory corruption in Linux kernel AppArmor allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through AppArmor policy namespace creation. The alloc_ns() failure path passes policy.hname, an interior pointer rather than a slab-object base, to kfree_sensitive(), causing an out-of-bounds zero and invalid free. Exploitation requires local AppArmor policy-management access and an allocation failure after policy initialization; successful abuse can corrupt kernel memory or panic the host.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory corruption in Linux kernel AppArmor allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through AppArmor policy namespace creation. The alloc_ns() failure path passes policy.hname, an interior pointer rather than a slab-object base, to kfree_sensitive(), causing an out-of-bounds zero and invalid free. Exploitation requires local AppArmor policy-management access and an allocation failure after policy initialization; successful abuse can corrupt kernel memory or panic the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-50860
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
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=4.13
  2. Affected versionversion=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <0250cf8d37bb5201a117177afd24dc73a1c81657
  3. Affected versionversion=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <12695b4b76d437b9c0182a6f7dfb2248013a9daf
  4. Affected versionversion=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <5f509fa740b17307f0cba412485072f632d5af36
  5. Affected versionversion=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <9a32aa87a25d800b2c6f47bc2749a7bfd9a486f3
  6. Affected versionversion=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <e9e6fa49dbab6d84c676666f3fe7d360497fd65b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.13; version=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <0250cf8d37bb5201a117177afd24dc73a1c81657; version=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <12695b4b76d437b9c0182a6f7dfb2248013a9daf; version=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <5f509fa740b17307f0cba412485072f632d5af36; version=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <9a32aa87a25d800b2c6f47bc2749a7bfd9a486f3; version=a1bd627b46d169268a0ee5960899fb5be960a317 <e9e6fa49dbab6d84c676666f3fe7d360497fd65b

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux Kernel CVE TeamCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

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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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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