CVE-2022-50142 – This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Intel ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-50142?

CVE-2022-50142 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Intel TH (Trace Hub) MSU (Memory Storage Unit) driver allows improper handling of vmalloc-allocated DMA buffers after a kernel configuration change. This can lead to memory corruption or system crashes when the affected driver attempts to map these buffers. Systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with Intel TH hardware support are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Intel TH (Trace Hub) MSU (Memory Storage Unit) driver allows improper handling of vmalloc-allocated DMA buffers after a kernel configuration change. This can lead to memory corruption or system crashes when the affected driver attempts to map these buffers. Systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with Intel TH hardware support are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Kernel versions containing the vulnerable code up to the fix commits

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable when Intel TH hardware is present and the intel_th_msu driver is loaded/used. Most consumer systems are not affected.

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel panic or system crash leading to denial of service, potentially allowing local privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability or crashes when the Intel TH MSU driver is used, particularly during memory mapping operations.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact if Intel TH hardware is not present or the driver is not loaded.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel vulnerability requiring access to the affected system.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could trigger the vulnerability, potentially causing system instability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires local access and triggering of the specific driver functionality. No public exploits known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 0ed72c6bc632cbf8d979ac60f982ff84b7bb610a, 4914c50670b6a531e2cb17cd984cc565b4681312, 566887bad7ff2297d6b3f9659c702ba075f3d62d, 6ae2881c1d1fa0e33f4763b7c786f8ef05a9c828, or ac12ad3ccf6d386e64a9d6a890595a2509d24edd

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ed72c6bc632cbf8d979ac60f982ff84b7bb610a

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Intel TH MSU driver

linux

Prevent loading of the vulnerable driver module

echo 'blacklist intel_th_msu' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-intel-th.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot

Unload driver if loaded

linux

Remove the driver module from running kernel

rmmod intel_th_msu

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Ensure Intel TH hardware is not present or disabled in BIOS/UEFI
Restrict local user access to systems with Intel TH hardware

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if Intel TH hardware is present: 'lspci | grep -i "trace hub"' and check if intel_th_msu module is loaded: 'lsmod | grep intel_th_msu'

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check kernel version against patched versions from your distribution, verify intel_th_msu module can be loaded without issues

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages related to intel_th_msu
System crash/panic logs when using Intel TH functionality

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("intel_th_msu" OR "msc_mmap_fault")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-50142

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-787

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (3.7th percentile)

Published: June 18, 2025

Last Updated: November 19, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2022-50142, you might also want to check these: