CVE-2022-50437 – A memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-50437?

CVE-2022-50437 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). A memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DRM/MSM HDMI driver allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries when more than eight bridges are connected. This affects Linux systems using the MSM HDMI driver, potentially leading to system crashes or arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges.

📋 TL;DR

A memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DRM/MSM HDMI driver allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries when more than eight bridges are connected. This affects Linux systems using the MSM HDMI driver, potentially leading to system crashes or arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with MSM HDMI driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable when using MSM HDMI driver with more than eight bridges connected, which is an uncommon configuration.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges, system compromise, or denial of service.

🟠

Likely Case

System crash or kernel panic due to memory corruption, resulting in denial of service.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if system doesn't use MSM HDMI driver or has fewer than eight bridges connected.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or specialized hardware configuration.

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

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: HIGH

Exploitation requires specific hardware configuration (more than eight HDMI bridges) and local access or ability to trigger the vulnerable code path.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: 08c7375fa27a8ceee028868e03ffb3a0db919d44, 3c43f3ec731c233eb84b66199ee76dbf3ec6ecae, 4c1294da6aed1f16d47a417dcfe6602833c3c95c, 9efb45b45ff6254bfd1f1997a06725cb3fc998a5, a9c1a6991a9b5aa6d0f2cbc9b8c3bf6c4d094dfa

Vendor Advisory: https://patchwork.freedesktop.org/patch/502670/

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Limit HDMI bridges

linux

Ensure system has eight or fewer HDMI bridges connected to avoid triggering the vulnerability

Disable MSM HDMI driver

linux

Remove or blacklist the affected driver if not needed

echo 'blacklist msm_hdmi' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
update-initramfs -u

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local access to prevent malicious users from exploiting the vulnerability
Monitor system logs for kernel panics or unusual HDMI-related errors

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if MSM HDMI driver is loaded: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep msm_hdmi'

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits: 'uname -r' and check distribution's security advisories

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic logs
HDMI driver error messages
System crash dumps

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "hdmi" OR "msm")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-50437

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: 0.03% exploit probability (7th percentile)

Published: October 1, 2025

Last Updated: January 21, 2026

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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