CVE-2022-50427 – This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-50427?

CVE-2022-50427 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ALSA sound subsystem. When device registration fails in the snd_ac97_dev_register() function, the kernel doesn't properly release allocated memory, leading to resource exhaustion over time. This affects Linux systems using AC97 audio hardware.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ALSA sound subsystem. When device registration fails in the snd_ac97_dev_register() function, the kernel doesn't properly release allocated memory, leading to resource exhaustion over time. This affects Linux systems using AC97 audio hardware.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific kernel versions containing the vulnerable code (check git commits for exact ranges)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with AC97 audio hardware support enabled in kernel configuration. Many modern systems may not use AC97 hardware.

📦 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...

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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

Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or potential kernel panic/crash.

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory leak that may cause system performance degradation over time, particularly on systems with limited memory or under heavy audio processing loads.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory management; may only affect systems with specific AC97 hardware configurations.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel vulnerability requiring local access or existing system compromise to trigger.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be exploited by malicious local users or through other vulnerabilities to degrade system performance.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires triggering the specific failure condition in device registration, which may be difficult to achieve reliably. This is primarily a reliability issue rather than a security bypass.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the git commits referenced in the CVE

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f8e9a15c8ecf95057061d370a2dddaf1cee4aeb

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Rebuild kernel if using custom kernel. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable AC97 support

linux

Remove AC97 audio driver support from kernel configuration if not needed

# Check if AC97 is loaded: lsmod | grep snd_ac97_codec
# Remove module if loaded: sudo rmmod snd_ac97_codec
# Blacklist to prevent loading: echo 'blacklist snd_ac97_codec' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-ac97.conf

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor system memory usage and kernel logs for signs of memory exhaustion
Implement process isolation and resource limits to contain potential impact

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if AC97 modules are loaded: uname -r && lsmod | grep snd_ac97

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated and check that the specific git commit fixing the issue is included in your kernel source

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel OOM (Out of Memory) messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
Increasing memory usage without clear cause
AC97-related error messages

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local kernel vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "OOM" OR "memory allocation failure")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-50427

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

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

CWE: CWE-401

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (5.5th percentile)

Published: October 1, 2025

Last Updated: January 20, 2026

🔗 References

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