CVE-2022-50521 – This is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linu... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-50521?

CVE-2022-50521 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mxm-wmi driver where ACPI buffer memory isn't freed after WMI method calls. It affects Linux systems with the mxm-wmi driver loaded, potentially leading to kernel memory exhaustion over time.

📋 TL;DR

This is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mxm-wmi driver where ACPI buffer memory isn't freed after WMI method calls. It affects Linux systems with the mxm-wmi driver loaded, potentially leading to kernel memory exhaustion over time.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Versions before the fix commits (specific commit hashes provided in references)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable if mxm-wmi driver is loaded (typically on systems with NVIDIA MXM graphics)

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Sustained exploitation could cause kernel memory exhaustion leading to system instability, crashes, or denial of service.

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory consumption over time requiring system reboot to clear accumulated memory.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper monitoring and regular reboots.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or existing kernel compromise.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be exploited by malicious users or malware with local access.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger the vulnerable WMI calls

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

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

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14bb4bde3b7b2584734b13747b345caeeb41bea3

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Unload mxm-wmi module

linux

Prevent loading of vulnerable driver if not needed

sudo modprobe -r mxm-wmi
echo 'blacklist mxm-wmi' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-mxm-wmi.conf

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor kernel memory usage and implement alerting for abnormal consumption
Schedule regular system reboots to clear accumulated memory

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if mxm-wmi module is loaded: lsmod | grep mxm-wmi

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check kernel version against patched versions or verify mxm-wmi module is not loaded

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oom-killer events
System memory exhaustion warnings in dmesg

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel panic or oom-killer events in system logs

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-50521

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

Published: October 7, 2025

Last Updated: February 5, 2026

🤖 AI-assisted analysis, reviewed for accuracy

🔗 References

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