CVE-2022-50324: 
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2022-50324 is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's MTD (Memory Technology Device) subsystem, specifically in the pxa2xx-flash driver (mtd/maps/pxa2xx-flash.c). The flaw occurs during the driver probe process when a remapping error causes the info structure to not be freed, resulting in a kernel memory leak. It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.24 through multiple stable branches up to 6.1.x. The vulnerability was published on September 15, 2025, and carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (Medium) (Red Hat CVE, Feedly).

The root cause is classified as CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime). In the pxa2xx-flash driver's probe function, when ioremap() or a similar remapping call fails, the allocated info structure is not freed before returning the error, leaving kernel memory unreachable. This is a local vulnerability requiring low privileges to trigger, with no user interaction needed. The fix, backported across multiple stable kernel branches, adds a kfree(info) call on the error path to properly release the allocated memory (Red Hat CVE, kernel.org patches).

Exploitation of this vulnerability by a local low-privileged user could cause gradual kernel memory exhaustion, potentially leading to denial of service through system instability or crash over time. The impact is limited to availability — there is no confidentiality or integrity impact. The affected scope is confined to the local system running a vulnerable kernel with the pxa2xx-flash driver loaded, which is primarily relevant to embedded systems using Intel PXA2xx-based hardware (Feedly).

There is no public proof-of-concept exploit available, and no evidence of in-the-wild exploitation has been reported. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. The EPSS score is approximately 0.033%, reflecting a very low probability of exploitation in the near term. Exploitation is further constrained by the requirement for local access and the niche hardware context (PXA2xx-based embedded platforms) in which the vulnerable driver is active (Feedly).

Update to a patched Linux kernel version. Fixes have been backported to the following stable releases: 4.9.337, 4.14.303, 4.19.270, 5.4.229, 5.10.163, 5.15.86, 6.0.16, 6.1.2, and 6.2. As a secondary measure, restrict local user access on systems running affected kernels, and monitor system memory usage for anomalous growth. SUSE has also issued kernel advisories (SUSE-2025-03615-1, SUSE-2025-03628-1, SUSE-2025-3716-1) addressing this CVE (Red Hat CVE, SUSE Advisory).

The vulnerability received routine coverage as part of weekly vulnerability summaries, including a CISA vulnerability summary for the week of September 15, 2025. SUSE issued multiple kernel security advisories addressing this CVE. No notable researcher commentary or significant community discussion has been identified beyond standard patch tracking (Red Packet Security, SUSE Advisory).