CVE-2022-50850: 
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2022-50850 is a kernel warning/resource leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SCSI ipr driver, specifically in the ipr_init() function. When pci_register_driver() fails during module initialization, ipr_init() does not call unregister_reboot_notifier(), leaving a reboot notifier registered and triggering a kernel WARNING on subsequent module load attempts. The vulnerability was published on December 30, 2025, and affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.34 up to the patched stable releases. It carries an estimated CVSS severity of Medium with an EPSS score of approximately 0.033% (Feedly, EUVD).

The root cause is improper cleanup on error paths (CWE-459: Incomplete Cleanup / resource leak). In ipr_init(), the reboot notifier is registered via register_reboot_notifier() before pci_register_driver() is called; if pci_register_driver() fails, the error path returns without calling unregister_reboot_notifier(). On a subsequent module load, the kernel detects the already-registered notifier callback (ipr_halt) and emits a WARNING at kernel/notifier.c:29 via notifier_chain_register. The issue is local in scope and requires the ability to load/reload the ipr kernel module, which typically requires root or equivalent privileges (Feedly).

The primary impact is a kernel WARNING message and a resource leak (dangling reboot notifier registration), which can cause instability or unexpected behavior during system shutdown or reboot sequences if the ipr SCSI driver module is involved. There is no evidence of confidentiality or integrity compromise; the availability impact is limited to potential kernel instability on systems using IBM Power RAID adapters managed by the ipr driver. The vulnerability does not enable privilege escalation, remote code execution, or data exfiltration (Feedly).

The fix has been backported to multiple stable Linux kernel branches. Patched versions include 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+. Administrators should update to a patched kernel version for their distribution. SUSE has issued an advisory (SUSE-2026-0350) incorporating this fix (Feedly, Linux Security).