CVE-2022-50549
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-10-07
Last updated on: 2026-02-26
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.5 (inc) to 5.10.163 (inc) |
| linux | kernel | * |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-667 | The product does not properly acquire or release a lock on a resource, leading to unexpected resource state changes and behaviors. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring for hung tasks related to the dm-thin device-mapper thin provisioning in the Linux kernel. Specifically, look for kernel log messages indicating tasks blocked for more than 15 seconds, such as 'task kworker/u4:3 blocked for more than 15 seconds' with call traces involving dm_pool_abort_metadata, dm_bufio_client_destroy, and shrink_slab functions. Commands to check include: 1) dmesg | grep -i 'blocked for more than' 2) journalctl -k | grep -i 'dm-thin' 3) checking for hung tasks with ps or top and correlating with kernel logs. These logs indicate the ABBA deadlock condition described.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation involves updating the Linux kernel to a version where the dm thin ABBA deadlock between shrink_slab and dm_pool_abort_metadata has been fixed. Until the patch is applied, avoid operations that trigger the deadlock, such as concurrent cache dropping and device-mapper thin provisioning metadata operations. Monitoring and avoiding heavy concurrent workloads on dm-thin devices can reduce the risk of triggering the deadlock.
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a deadlock issue in the Linux kernel's device mapper thin provisioning (dm thin) subsystem. It occurs due to an ABBA deadlock between two locks (shrinker_rwsem and pmd->root_lock) when concurrent processes attempt to access and modify metadata. This deadlock causes tasks to hang indefinitely, leading to system stalls or unresponsiveness.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The vulnerability can cause hung tasks in the Linux kernel, leading to system stalls or unresponsiveness. This can impact system stability and availability, potentially disrupting services or applications relying on the affected kernel.