Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a Linux kernel availability bug in the HiSilicon Kunpeng920 SEC encryption driver. Under packet encryption or decryption during softirq processing, the driver can use a mutex where sleeping is not allowed, causing kernel scheduling errors. The sources do not provide CVSS, impact scoring, or evidence of exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as targeted platform hygiene, not a broad emergency. Prioritize affected ARM/Kunpeng infrastructure using hardware crypto acceleration, because impact appears availability-oriented and exposure depends on specific hardware and driver use.
Technical view
The affected path is the Linux crypto hisilicon/sec driver, observed through hisi_sec2 during network packet processing such as ESP/XFRM. The issue is a sleep-in-atomic-context defect: sec_request_init uses mutex locking while executing in softirq. Stable kernel commits are referenced as the resolution.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to Linux systems using the HiSilicon Kunpeng920 SEC crypto driver, especially where kernel crypto offload is used for network packet encryption or decryption. The bundle lists affected Linux kernel versions including 5.5 through fixed stable releases around 5.10.137, 5.15.61, 5.18.18, 5.19.2, and 6.0.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is stated. The CVE is not marked CISA KEV in the provided bundle. The evidence describes a kernel BUG report triggered during legitimate crypto/network processing, not a weaponized attack chain or remotely proven exploit path.
Researcher notes
The public bundle lacks CVSS, CWE, exploitability analysis, and distro-specific fixed versions. The strongest evidence is the upstream kernel resolution and call trace showing mutex use from softirq context. Avoid expanding scope beyond Linux hisilicon/sec without additional vendor sources.
Mitigation direction
- Update to a vendor kernel containing the referenced Linux stable fixes.
- Prioritize hosts using HiSilicon Kunpeng920 SEC or hisi_sec2 crypto acceleration.
- Check Linux distribution advisories for exact fixed package versions.
- Do not assume a configuration workaround unless vendor guidance names one.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux hosts using HiSilicon SEC or hisi_sec2 drivers.
- Compare running kernel versions with vendor fixed package guidance.
- Review kernel logs for the cited scheduling-while-atomic pattern involving hisi_sec2.
- Confirm whether IPsec/XFRM or kernel crypto paths use HiSilicon SEC acceleration.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2022-50171 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16e18a8ac7c9748cf35a8d2f0ba2c6e8850e7568CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa495dfe71229b9034b59d8072ff0b2325ddd5eeCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a461ba5b9753352f438824fdd915cba675b1733CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c9be45e4c69fde36522274f04d1aa0d097ae3958CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/02884a4f12de11f54d4ca67a07dd1f111d96fdbdCVE reference, Linux
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.