{"id":"CVE-2022-50234","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"io_uring/af_unix: defer registered files gc to io_uring release","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nio_uring/af_unix: defer registered files gc to io_uring release\n\nInstead of putting io_uring's registered files in unix_gc() we want it\nto be done by io_uring itself. The trick here is to consider io_uring\nregistered files for cycle detection but not actually putting them down.\nBecause io_uring can't register other ring instances, this will remove\nall refs to the ring file triggering the ->release path and clean up\nwith io_ring_ctx_free().\n\n[axboe: add kerneldoc comment to skb, fold in skb leak fix]","publishedAt":"2025-09-15T14:01:38.199Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-05T08:57:50.462Z","severity":{"score":7.8,"label":"High","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"Linux"},"assigner":"Linux","products":["Linux Linux"],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"04df9719df1865f6770af9bc7880874af0e594b2","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"c378c479c5175833bb22ff71974cda47d7b05401","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"813d8fe5d30388f73a21d3a2bf46b0a1fd72498c","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"b4293c01ee0d0ecdd3cb5801e13f62271144667a","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"75e94c7e8859e58aadc15a98cc9704edff47d4f2","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"0091bfc81741b8d3aeb3b7ab8636f911b2de6e80","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["include/linux/skbuff.h","io_uring/rsrc.c","net/unix/garbage.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"5.1","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"5.1","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.4.220","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.4.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.150","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.75","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.19.17","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.19.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.0.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.0.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["include/linux/skbuff.h","io_uring/rsrc.c","net/unix/garbage.c"]}],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04df9719df1865f6770af9bc7880874af0e594b2","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c378c479c5175833bb22ff71974cda47d7b05401","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/813d8fe5d30388f73a21d3a2bf46b0a1fd72498c","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b4293c01ee0d0ecdd3cb5801e13f62271144667a","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75e94c7e8859e58aadc15a98cc9704edff47d4f2","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0091bfc81741b8d3aeb3b7ab8636f911b2de6e80"],"weaknesses":[],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:05:26.763Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2022/50xxx/CVE-2022-50234.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2022-50234","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2025-09-15T14:01:38.199Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-05T08:57:50.462Z","assignerShortName":"Linux","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateReserved":"2025-06-18T10:57:27.432Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"io_uring/af_unix: defer registered files gc to io_uring release","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nio_uring/af_unix: defer registered files gc to io_uring release\n\nInstead of putting io_uring's registered files in unix_gc() we want it\nto be done by io_uring itself. The trick here is to consider io_uring\nregistered files for cycle detection but not actually putting them down.\nBecause io_uring can't register other ring instances, this will remove\nall refs to the ring file triggering the ->release path and clean up\nwith io_ring_ctx_free().\n\n[axboe: add kerneldoc comment to skb, fold in skb leak fix]"}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"04df9719df1865f6770af9bc7880874af0e594b2","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"c378c479c5175833bb22ff71974cda47d7b05401","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"813d8fe5d30388f73a21d3a2bf46b0a1fd72498c","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"b4293c01ee0d0ecdd3cb5801e13f62271144667a","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"75e94c7e8859e58aadc15a98cc9704edff47d4f2","versionType":"git"},{"version":"6b06314c47e141031be043539900d80d2c7ba10f","status":"affected","lessThan":"0091bfc81741b8d3aeb3b7ab8636f911b2de6e80","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["include/linux/skbuff.h","io_uring/rsrc.c","net/unix/garbage.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"5.1","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"5.1","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.4.220","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.4.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.150","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.75","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.19.17","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.19.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.0.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.0.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["include/linux/skbuff.h","io_uring/rsrc.c","net/unix/garbage.c"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04df9719df1865f6770af9bc7880874af0e594b2"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c378c479c5175833bb22ff71974cda47d7b05401"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/813d8fe5d30388f73a21d3a2bf46b0a1fd72498c"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b4293c01ee0d0ecdd3cb5801e13f62271144667a"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75e94c7e8859e58aadc15a98cc9704edff47d4f2"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0091bfc81741b8d3aeb3b7ab8636f911b2de6e80"}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH"},"scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"AV:L - The bug is reached only through local io_uring syscalls (io_uring_setup/register/enter) combined with AF_UNIX SCM_RIGHTS cycle construction; it is not reachable via network packets or a remote protocol parser.\nAC:L - The attacker fully controls both sides of the race—stalling the in-flight io_uring request (userfaultfd/FUSE/inode lock) and triggering unix_gc via crafted inflight cycles—so success does not depend on conditions outside their influence; public exploits demonstrate reliable triggering.\nPR:L - io_uring_setup, IORING_REGISTER_FILES, and AF_UNIX socket operations require only an unprivileged local account with no capabilities; the vulnerable kernels had no io_uring_disabled gate.\nUI:N - The attacker drives the entire sequence (ring setup, file registration, cycle creation, stalled request, and GC trigger) themselves with no action required from another user.\nS:U - This is a host-kernel use-after-free of struct file enabling local privilege escalation within the same kernel authority; it is not a VM escape, IOMMU bypass, or other cross-boundary compromise.\nC:H - The UAF leaves a dangling struct file pointer reclaimable via heap spray (DirtyCred), giving the attacker control over file object contents and enabling arbitrary file/credential disclosure primitives.\nI:H - Replacing the freed writable file with a privileged read-only file (e.g. /etc/passwd) after permission checks allows arbitrary file writes and reliable local privilege escalation, as shown by public exploits.\nA:H - Use of the dangling registered-file pointer after unix_gc frees it causes kernel oops/panic even without a full exploit, so availability impact is high."}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"Linux","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateUpdated":"2026-08-05T08:57:50.462Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.1","versionEndExcluding":"5.4.220"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.1","versionEndExcluding":"5.10.150"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.1","versionEndExcluding":"5.15.75"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.1","versionEndExcluding":"5.19.17"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.1","versionEndExcluding":"6.0.3"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.1","versionEndExcluding":"6.1"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}}}}