CVE-2022-50266
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's kprobes subsystem where kill_kprobe() fails to properly disarm enabled probes before marking them as gone. This could allow a local attacker to trigger a NULL pointer dereference, potentially causing kernel panic or system crash. Affects Linux systems using kprobes for dynamic kernel instrumentation.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux Kernel
📦 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 →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 →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
Local privilege escalation to kernel-level code execution or denial of service through kernel panic/crash, leading to system instability or complete unavailability.
Likely Case
Local denial of service through kernel panic or system crash when kprobes are manipulated under specific timing conditions.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if kprobes are not used or access to kprobes is restricted to privileged users only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to manipulate kprobes, plus precise timing to trigger the race condition.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 0c76ef3f26d5ef2ac2c21b47e7620cff35809fbb, c909985dd0c0f74b61e3f8f0e04bf8aa9c8b97c7, or f20a067f13106565816b4b6a6b665b2088a63824
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c76ef3f26d5ef2ac2c21b47e7620cff35809fbb
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
Restrict kprobes access
allLimit kprobes functionality to trusted privileged users only
echo 1 > /proc/sys/kernel/kptr_restrict
echo 1 > /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict kprobes usage to essential privileged users only
- Monitor system logs for kprobes-related errors or crashes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and compare with distribution's patched versions. Vulnerable if using kernel before fix commits.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version after update matches patched version from vendor advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
- kprobes-related crash reports
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kprobe" OR "kernel panic")