CVE-2022-50466

fs/binfmt_elf: Fix memory leak in load_elf_binary()

Published Oct 1, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

fs/binfmt_elf: Fix memory leak in load_elf_binary()

There is a memory leak reported by kmemleak:

unreferenced object 0xffff88817104ef80 (size 224):
comm "xfs_admin", pid 47165, jiffies 4298708825 (age 1333.476s)
hex dump (first 32 bytes):
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
60 a8 b3 00 81 88 ff ff a8 10 5a 00 81 88 ff ff `.........Z.....
backtrace:
[<ffffffff819171e1>] __alloc_file+0x21/0x250
[<ffffffff81918061>] alloc_empty_file+0x41/0xf0
[<ffffffff81948cda>] path_openat+0xea/0x3d30
[<ffffffff8194ec89>] do_filp_open+0x1b9/0x290
[<ffffffff8192660e>] do_open_execat+0xce/0x5b0
[<ffffffff81926b17>] open_exec+0x27/0x50
[<ffffffff81a69250>] load_elf_binary+0x510/0x3ed0
[<ffffffff81927759>] bprm_execve+0x599/0x1240
[<ffffffff8192a997>] do_execveat_common.isra.0+0x4c7/0x680
[<ffffffff8192b078>] __x64_sys_execve+0x88/0xb0
[<ffffffff83bbf0a5>] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80

If "interp_elf_ex" fails to allocate memory in load_elf_binary(),
the program will take the "out_free_ph" error handing path,
resulting in "interpreter" file resource is not released.

Fix it by adding an error handing path "out_free_file", which will
release the file resource when "interp_elf_ex" failed to allocate
memory.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-401
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Low

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/binfmt_elf: Fix memory leak in load_elf_binary() There is a memory leak reported by kmemleak: unreferenced object 0xffff88817104ef80 (size 224): comm "xfs_admin", pid 47165, jiffies 4298708825 (age 1333.476s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ 60 a8 b3 00 81 88 ff ff a8 10 5a 00 81 88 ff ff `.........Z..... backtrace: [<ffffffff819171e1>] __alloc_file+0x21/0x250 [<ffffffff81918061>] alloc_empty_file+0x41/0xf0 [<ffffffff81948cda>] path_openat+0xea/0x3d30 [<ffffffff8194ec89>] do_filp_open+0x1b9/0x290 [<ffffffff8192660e>] do_open_execat+0xce/0x5b0 [<ffffffff81926b17>] open_exec+0x27/0x50 [<ffffffff81a69250>] load_elf_binary+0x510/0x3ed0 [<ffffffff81927759>] bprm_execve+0x599/0x1240 [<ffffffff8192a997>] do_execveat_common.isra.0+0x4c7/0x680 [<ffffffff8192b078>] __x64_sys_execve+0x88/0xb0 [<ffffffff83bbf0a5>] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 If "interp_elf_ex" fails to allocate memory in load_elf_binary(), the program will take the "out_free_ph" error handing path, resulting in "interpreter" file resource is not released. Fix it by adding an error handing path "out_free_file", which will release the file resource when "interp_elf_ex" failed to allocate memory.
Title fs/binfmt_elf: Fix memory leak in load_elf_binary()
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Nov 5, 2026, 8:20 PM
Reserved
Oct 1, 2025, 11:38 AM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Oct 1, 2025, 12:15 PM
Modified
Nov 5, 2026, 9:17 PM
Severity
Low
Public date
Oct 1, 2025, 12:00 AM