CVE-2022-50466

CVE-2022-50466 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-401.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/binfmt_elf: Fix memory leak in load_elf_binary() There is a memory leak reported by kmemleak: unreferenced object 0xffff88817104ef80 (size 224): comm "xfs_admin", pid 47165, jiffies 4298708825 (age 1333.476s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ 60 a8 b3 00 81 88 ff ff a8 10 5a 00 81 88 ff ff `.........Z..... backtrace: [<ffffffff819171e1>] __alloc_file+0x21/0x250 [<ffffffff81918061>] alloc_empty_file+0x41/0xf0 [<ffffffff81948cda>] path_openat+0xea/0x3d30 [<ffffffff8194ec89>] do_filp_open+0x1b9/0x290 [<ffffffff8192660e>] do_open_execat+0xce/0x5b0 [<ffffffff81926b17>] open_exec+0x27/0x50 [<ffffffff81a69250>] load_elf_binary+0x510/0x3ed0 [<ffffffff81927759>] bprm_execve+0x599/0x1240 [<ffffffff8192a997>] do_execveat_common.isra.0+0x4c7/0x680 [<ffffffff8192b078>] __x64_sys_execve+0x88/0xb0 [<ffffffff83bbf0a5>] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 If "interp_elf_ex" fails to allocate memory in load_elf_binary(), the program will take the "out_free_ph" error handing path, resulting in "interpreter" file resource is not released. Fix it by adding an error handing path "out_free_file", which will release the file resource when "interp_elf_ex" failed to allocate memory.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-50466?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/binfmt_elf: Fix memory leak in load_elf_binary() There is a memory leak reported by kmemleak: unreferenced object 0xffff88817104ef80 (size 224): comm "xfs_admin", pid 47165, jiffies 4298708825 (age 1333.476s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ 60 a8 b3 00 81 88 ff ff a8 10 5a 00 81 88 ff ff `.........Z..... backtrace: [<ffffffff819171e1>] __alloc_file+0x21/0x250 [<ffffffff81918061>] alloc_empty_file+0x41/0xf0 [<ffffffff81948cda>] path_openat+0xea/0x3d30 [<ffffffff8194ec89>] do_filp_open+0x1b9/0x290 [<ffffffff8192660e>] do_open_execat+0xce/0x5b0 [<ffffffff81926b17>] open_exec+0x27/0x50 [<ffffffff81a69250>] load_elf_binary+0x510/0x3ed0 [<ffffffff81927759>] bprm_execve+0x599/0x1240 [<ffffffff8192a997>] do_execveat_common.isra.0+0x4c7/0x680 [<ffffffff8192b078>] __x64_sys_execve+0x88/0xb0 [<ffffffff83bbf0a5>] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 If "interp_elf_ex" fails to allocate memory in load_elf_binary(), the program will take the "out_free_ph" error handing path, resulting in "interpreter" file resource is not released. Fix it by adding an error handing path "out_free_file", which will release the file resource when "interp_elf_ex" failed to allocate memory.
How severe is CVE-2022-50466?
CVE-2022-50466 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2022-50466 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (4th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-50466?
CVE-2022-50466 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-50466?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2022-50466 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2022-50466 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-32823.
When was CVE-2022-50466 published?
CVE-2022-50466 was published on 2025-10-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

More vulnerabilities in Linux Linux Kernel

All CVEs affecting Linux Linux Kernel →

Other CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime) vulnerabilities

Browse all CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime) vulnerabilities →