CVE-2022-50323: net: do not sense pfmemalloc status in skb_append_pagefrags()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: do not sense pfmemalloc status in skb_append_pagefrags()
skb_append_pagefrags() is used by af_unix and udp sendpage()
implementation so far.
In commit 326140063946 ("tcp: TX zerocopy should not sense
pfmemalloc status") we explained why we should not sense
pfmemalloc status for pages owned by user space.
We should also use skb_fill_page_desc_noacc()
in skb_append_pagefrags() to avoid following KCSAN report:
BUG: KCSAN: data-race in lru_add_fn / skb_append_pagefrags
write to 0xffffea00058fc1c8 of 8 bytes by task 17319 on cpu 0:
__list_add include/linux/list.h:73 [inline]
list_add include/linux/list.h:88 [inline]
lruvec_add_folio include/linux/mm_inline.h:323 [inline]
lru_add_fn+0x327/0x410 mm/swap.c:228
folio_batch_move_lru+0x1e1/0x2a0 mm/swap.c:246
lru_add_drain_cpu+0x73/0x250 mm/swap.c:669
lru_add_drain+0x21/0x60 mm/swap.c:773
free_pages_and_swap_cache+0x16/0x70 mm/swap_state.c:311
tlb_batch_pages_flush mm/mmu_gather.c:59 [inline]
tlb_flush_mmu_free mm/mmu_gather.c:256 [inline]
tlb_flush_mmu+0x5b2/0x640 mm/mmu_gather.c:263
tlb_finish_mmu+0x86/0x100 mm/mmu_gather.c:363
exit_mmap+0x190/0x4d0 mm/mmap.c:3098
__mmput+0x27/0x1b0 kernel/fork.c:1185
mmput+0x3d/0x50 kernel/fork.c:1207
copy_process+0x19fc/0x2100 kernel/fork.c:2518
kernel_clone+0x166/0x550 kernel/fork.c:2671
__do_sys_clone kernel/fork.c:2812 [inline]
__se_sys_clone kernel/fork.c:2796 [inline]
__x64_sys_clone+0xc3/0xf0 kernel/fork.c:2796
do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
do_syscall_64+0x2b/0x70 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd
read to 0xffffea00058fc1c8 of 8 bytes by task 17325 on cpu 1:
page_is_pfmemalloc include/linux/mm.h:1817 [inline]
__skb_fill_page_desc include/linux/skbuff.h:2432 [inline]
skb_fill_page_desc include/linux/skbuff.h:2453 [inline]
skb_append_pagefrags+0x210/0x600 net/core/skbuff.c:3974
unix_stream_sendpage+0x45e/0x990 net/unix/af_unix.c:2338
kernel_sendpage+0x184/0x300 net/socket.c:3561
sock_sendpage+0x5a/0x70 net/socket.c:1054
pipe_to_sendpage+0x128/0x160 fs/splice.c:361
splice_from_pipe_feed fs/splice.c:415 [inline]
__splice_from_pipe+0x222/0x4d0 fs/splice.c:559
splice_from_pipe fs/splice.c:594 [inline]
generic_splice_sendpage+0x89/0xc0 fs/splice.c:743
do_splice_from fs/splice.c:764 [inline]
direct_splice_actor+0x80/0xa0 fs/splice.c:931
splice_direct_to_actor+0x305/0x620 fs/splice.c:886
do_splice_direct+0xfb/0x180 fs/splice.c:974
do_sendfile+0x3bf/0x910 fs/read_write.c:1255
__do_sys_sendfile64 fs/read_write.c:1323 [inline]
__se_sys_sendfile64 fs/read_write.c:1309 [inline]
__x64_sys_sendfile64+0x10c/0x150 fs/read_write.c:1309
do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
do_syscall_64+0x2b/0x70 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd
value changed: 0x0000000000000000 -> 0xffffea00058fc188
Reported by Kernel Concurrency Sanitizer on:
CPU: 1 PID: 17325 Comm: syz-executor.0 Not tainted 6.1.0-rc1-syzkaller-00158-g440b7895c990-dirty #0
Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 10/11/2022
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a Linux kernel networking bug involving unsafe concurrent access while handling page fragments for UNIX socket and UDP sendpage paths. The public record shows it was found by Kernel Concurrency Sanitizer testing, not through reported attacks. Business urgency depends on whether your systems run affected kernel versions and whether vendor kernel updates are available.
Executive priority
Treat as a routine kernel maintenance item unless your vendor rates it higher. There is no public evidence here of exploitation or defined impact, but kernel concurrency bugs still justify timely patch review for production Linux fleets.
Technical view
skb_append_pagefrags() incorrectly sensed pfmemalloc status for user-owned pages, creating a KCSAN-reported data race with LRU page handling. The fix changes the path to use skb_fill_page_desc_noacc(). Affected versions listed include Linux 5.15.77, 6.0, 6.0.7, and 6.1. No CVSS, CWE, or concrete security impact is provided.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems running affected Linux kernel builds or downstream kernels containing the vulnerable code. Distribution backports may change version-based conclusions, so package metadata and vendor advisories matter more than upstream version strings alone.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is indicated. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided data. The issue was reported by syzkaller/KCSAN testing, and the public description does not describe a practical exploit path or attacker impact.
Researcher notes
Key paths are skb_append_pagefrags(), af_unix sendpage, UDP sendpage, and splice/sendfile flows. The observable report is a KCSAN data race between lru_add_fn and skb_append_pagefrags. Public details support validation of patch presence, not exploitability assessment.
Mitigation direction
Check your Linux vendor advisory for CVE-2022-50323 coverage.
Update kernels to vendor releases containing the referenced stable fixes.
Prioritize internet-facing or multi-tenant Linux systems after vendor confirmation.
Reboot systems if required for the new kernel to take effect.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernel versions across servers and appliances.
Confirm whether vendor packages include the referenced upstream commits.
Review kernel changelogs for CVE-2022-50323 or the fix title.
Verify running kernels after patching, not just installed packages.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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3Timeline events
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CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
Sep 15, 2025, 14:48 UTC (UTC+00:00)
CVE updatedCVE Program
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