CVE-2022-49546: x86/kexec: fix memory leak of elf header buffer
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.27% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833, 23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a, 8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833, 23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a, 8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/kexec: fix memory leak of elf header buffer This is reported by kmemleak detector: unreferenced object 0xffffc900002a9000 (size 4096): comm "kexec", pid 14950, jiffies 4295110793 (age 373.951s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 7f 45 4c 46 02 01 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .ELF............ 04 00 3e 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ..>............. backtrace: [<0000000016a8ef9f>] __vmalloc_node_range+0x101/0x170 [<000000002b66b6c0>] __vmalloc_node+0xb4/0x160 [<00000000ad40107d>] crash_prepare_elf64_headers+0x8e/0xcd0 [<0000000019afff23>] crash_load_segments+0x260/0x470 [<0000000019ebe95c>] bzImage64_load+0x814/0xad0 [<0000000093e16b05>] arch_kexec_kernel_image_load+0x1be/0x2a0 [<000000009ef2fc88>] kimage_file_alloc_init+0x2ec/0x5a0 [<0000000038f5a97a>] __do_sys_kexec_file_load+0x28d/0x530 [<0000000087c19992>] do_syscall_64+0x3b/0x90 [<0000000066e063a4>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae In crash_prepare_elf64_headers(), a buffer is allocated via vmalloc() to store elf headers. While it's not freed back to system correctly when kdump kernel is reloaded or unloaded. Then memory leak is caused. Fix it by introducing x86 specific function arch_kimage_file_post_load_cleanup(), and freeing the buffer there. And also remove the incorrect elf header buffer freeing code. Before calling arch specific kexec_file loading function, the image instance has been initialized. So 'image->elf_headers' must be NULL. It doesn't make sense to free the elf header buffer in the place. Three different people have reported three bugs about the memory leak on x86_64 inside Redhat.
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 20th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-401
Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- linux linux kernelbefore 5.15.46
- linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 5.17.14
- linux linux kernel5.18 and later · before 5.18.3
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux
- 3.17affected
- dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a and later · before 23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1aaffected · git
- dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a and later · before 8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248affected · git
- dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a and later · before 115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833affected · git
- dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a and later · before f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcbaffected · git
- dd5f726076cc7639d9713b334c8c133f77c6757a and later · before b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57affected · git
- before 3.17not affected · semver
- 5.10.236 and later · up to and including 5.10.*not affected · semver
- 5.15.46 and later · up to and including 5.15.*not affected · semver
- 5.17.14 and later · up to and including 5.17.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:11 | linux | before 5.10.237-1 | 5.10.237-1 |
| Debian:12 | linux | before 5.18.5-1 | 5.18.5-1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 | kernel-default | before 4.12.14-122.290.1 | 4.12.14-122.290.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 | kgraft-patch-SLE12-SP5_Update_76 | before 1-8.7.1 | 1-8.7.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS | kernel-source | before 4.12.14-122.290.1 | 4.12.14-122.290.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS | kernel-syms | before 4.12.14-122.290.1 | 4.12.14-122.290.1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV90Now
- CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV89Now
- CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV85Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2022-49544Feb 26, 2025 · ipw2x00: Fix potential NULL dereference in libipw_xmit()22Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2022-49545Feb 26, 2025 · ALSA: usb-audio: Cancel pending work at closing a MIDI substream22Monitor
- Later →CVE-2022-49547Feb 26, 2025 · btrfs: fix deadlock between concurrent dio writes when low on free data space22Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcb | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:linux | 5.18.5-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:kernel-default | 4.12.14-122.290.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:kernel-source | 4.12.14-122.290.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:kernel-syms | 4.12.14-122.290.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:kgraft-patch-SLE12-SP5_Update_76 | 1-8.7.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-401 · Missing Release of Memory after Effective LifetimeCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (5 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcb
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.