CVE-2022-50091

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: locking/csd_lock: Change csdlock_debug from early_param to __setup The csdlock_debug kernel-boot parameter is parsed by the early_param() function csdlock_debug(). If set, csdlock_debug() invokes static_branch_enable() to enable csd_lock_wait feature, which triggers a panic on arm64 for kernels built with CONFIG_SPARSEMEM=y and CONFIG_SPARSEMEM_VMEMMAP=n. With CONFIG_SPARSEMEM_VMEMMAP=n, __nr_to_section is called in static_key_enable() and returns NULL, resulting in a NULL dereference because mem_section is initialized only later in sparse_init(). This is also a problem for powerpc because early_param() functions are invoked earlier than jump_label_init(), also resulting in static_key_enable() failures. These failures cause the warning "static key 'xxx' used before call to jump_label_init()". Thus, early_param is too early for csd_lock_wait to run static_branch_enable(), so changes it to __setup to fix these.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-06-18
Last modified 2025-11-18
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-476

CVE-2022-50091 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability

What is NULL Pointer Dereference?

The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.13 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.61, 5.18.18, 5.19.2, 6.0 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.13
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.61 5.15.x ✓ 5.18.18 5.18.x ✓ 5.19.2 5.19.x ✓ 6.0

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2022-50091 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2022-50091?

    CVE-2022-50091 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.13 onward and has been patched in 5.15.61, 5.18.18, 5.19.2 and others. CVE-2022-50091 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2022-50091?

    CVE-2022-50091 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2022-50091?

    Yes — CVE-2022-50091 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.61, 5.18.18, 5.19.2 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.13 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2022-50091 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2022-50091 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?

    The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →