CVE-2022-50534

CVE-2022-50534 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.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm thin: Use last transaction's pmd->root when commit failed Recently we found a softlock up problem in dm thin pool btree lookup code due to corrupted metadata: Kernel panic - not syncing: softlockup: hung tasks CPU: 7 PID: 2669225 Comm: kworker/u16:3 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) Workqueue: dm-thin do_worker [dm_thin_pool] Call Trace: <IRQ> dump_stack+0x9c/0xd3 panic+0x35d/0x6b9 watchdog_timer_fn.cold+0x16/0x25 __run_hrtimer+0xa2/0x2d0 </IRQ> RIP: 0010:__relink_lru+0x102/0x220 [dm_bufio] __bufio_new+0x11f/0x4f0 [dm_bufio] new_read+0xa3/0x1e0 [dm_bufio] dm_bm_read_lock+0x33/0xd0 [dm_persistent_data] ro_step+0x63/0x100 [dm_persistent_data] btree_lookup_raw.constprop.0+0x44/0x220 [dm_persistent_data] dm_btree_lookup+0x16f/0x210 [dm_persistent_data] dm_thin_find_block+0x12c/0x210 [dm_thin_pool] __process_bio_read_only+0xc5/0x400 [dm_thin_pool] process_thin_deferred_bios+0x1a4/0x4a0 [dm_thin_pool] process_one_work+0x3c5/0x730 Following process may generate a broken btree mixed with fresh and stale btree nodes, which could get dm thin trapped in an infinite loop while looking up data block: Transaction 1: pmd->root = A, A->B->C // One path in btree pmd->root = X, X->Y->Z // Copy-up Transaction 2: X,Z is updated on disk, Y write failed. // Commit failed, dm thin becomes read-only. process_bio_read_only dm_thin_find_block __find_block dm_btree_lookup(pmd->root) The pmd->root points to a broken btree, Y may contain stale node pointing to any block, for example X, which gets dm thin trapped into a dead loop while looking up Z. Fix this by setting pmd->root in __open_metadata(), so that dm thin will use the last transaction's pmd->root if commit failed. Fetch a reproducer in [Link]. Linke: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216790

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-50534?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm thin: Use last transaction's pmd->root when commit failed Recently we found a softlock up problem in dm thin pool btree lookup code due to corrupted metadata: Kernel panic - not syncing: softlockup: hung tasks CPU: 7 PID: 2669225 Comm: kworker/u16:3 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) Workqueue: dm-thin do_worker [dm_thin_pool] Call Trace: <IRQ> dump_stack+0x9c/0xd3 panic+0x35d/0x6b9 watchdog_timer_fn.cold+0x16/0x25 __run_hrtimer+0xa2/0x2d0 </IRQ> RIP: 0010:__relink_lru+0x102/0x220 [dm_bufio] __bufio_new+0x11f/0x4f0 [dm_bufio] new_read+0xa3/0x1e0 [dm_bufio] dm_bm_read_lock+0x33/0xd0 [dm_persistent_data] ro_step+0x63/0x100 [dm_persistent_data] btree_lookup_raw.constprop.0+0x44/0x220 [dm_persistent_data] dm_btree_lookup+0x16f/0x210 [dm_persistent_data] dm_thin_find_block+0x12c/0x210 [dm_thin_pool] __process_bio_read_only+0xc5/0x400 [dm_thin_pool] process_thin_deferred_bios+0x1a4/0x4a0 [dm_thin_pool] process_one_work+0x3c5/0x730 Following process may generate a broken btree mixed with fresh and stale btree nodes, which could get dm thin trapped in an infinite loop while looking up data block: Transaction 1: pmd->root = A, A->B->C // One path in btree pmd->root = X, X->Y->Z // Copy-up Transaction 2: X,Z is updated on disk, Y write failed. // Commit failed, dm thin becomes read-only. process_bio_read_only dm_thin_find_block __find_block dm_btree_lookup(pmd->root) The pmd->root points to a broken btree, Y may contain stale node pointing to any block, for example X, which gets dm thin trapped into a dead loop while looking up Z. Fix this by setting pmd->root in __open_metadata(), so that dm thin will use the last transaction's pmd->root if commit failed. Fetch a reproducer in [Link]. Linke: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216790
How severe is CVE-2022-50534?
CVE-2022-50534 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-2022-50534 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (5th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-50534?
CVE-2022-50534 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-50534?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2022-50534 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2022-50534 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-32039.
When was CVE-2022-50534 published?
CVE-2022-50534 was published on 2025-10-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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