LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2022-50661: seccomp: Move copy_seccomp() to no failure path.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: seccomp: Move copy_seccomp() to no failure path. Our syzbot instance reported memory leaks in do_seccomp() [0], similar to the report [1]. It shows that we miss freeing struct seccomp_filter and some objects included in it. We can reproduce the issue with the program below [2] which calls one seccomp() and two clone() syscalls. The first clone()d child exits earlier than its parent and sends a signal to kill it during the second clone(), more precisely before the fatal_signal_pending() test in copy_process(). When the parent receives the signal, it has to destroy the embryonic process and return -EINTR to user space. In the failure path, we have to call seccomp_filter_release() to decrement the filter's refcount. Initially, we called it in free_task() called from the failure path, but the commit 3a15fb6ed92c ("seccomp: release filter after task is fully dead") moved it to release_task() to notify user space as early as possible that the filter is no longer used. To keep the change and current seccomp refcount semantics, let's move copy_seccomp() just after the signal check and add a WARN_ON_ONCE() in free_task() for future debugging. [0]: unreferenced object 0xffff8880063add00 (size 256): comm "repro_seccomp", pid 230, jiffies 4294687090 (age 9.914s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 01 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ................ backtrace: do_seccomp (./include/linux/slab.h:600 ./include/linux/slab.h:733 kernel/seccomp.c:666 kernel/seccomp.c:708 kernel/seccomp.c:1871 kernel/seccomp.c:1991) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:120) unreferenced object 0xffffc90000035000 (size 4096): comm "repro_seccomp", pid 230, jiffies 4294687090 (age 9.915s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 05 00 00 00 ................ 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ backtrace: __vmalloc_node_range (mm/vmalloc.c:3226) __vmalloc_node (mm/vmalloc.c:3261 (discriminator 4)) bpf_prog_alloc_no_stats (kernel/bpf/core.c:91) bpf_prog_alloc (kernel/bpf/core.c:129) bpf_prog_create_from_user (net/core/filter.c:1414) do_seccomp (kernel/seccomp.c:671 kernel/seccomp.c:708 kernel/seccomp.c:1871 kernel/seccomp.c:1991) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:120) unreferenced object 0xffff888003fa1000 (size 1024): comm "repro_seccomp", pid 230, jiffies 4294687090 (age 9.915s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ backtrace: bpf_prog_alloc_no_stats (./include/linux/slab.h:600 ./include/linux/slab.h:733 kernel/bpf/core.c:95) bpf_prog_alloc (kernel/bpf/core.c:129) bpf_prog_create_from_user (net/core/filter.c:1414) do_seccomp (kernel/seccomp.c:671 kernel/seccomp.c:708 kernel/seccomp.c:1871 kernel/seccomp.c:1991) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:120) unreferenced object 0xffff888006360240 (size 16): comm "repro_seccomp", pid 230, jiffies 4294687090 (age 9.915s) hex dump (first 16 bytes): 01 00 37 00 76 65 72 6c e0 83 01 06 80 88 ff ff ..7.verl........ backtrace: bpf_prog_store_orig_filter (net/core/filter.c:1137) bpf_prog_create_from_user (net/core/filter.c:1428) do_seccomp (kernel/seccomp.c:671 kernel/seccomp.c:708 kernel/seccomp.c:1871 kernel/seccomp.c:1991) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:120) unreferenced object 0xffff888 ---truncated---

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2022-50661 is a Linux kernel seccomp memory leak triggered in a process-creation failure path. A local program can cause kernel objects related to seccomp/BPF filters to remain allocated. The public record does not indicate remote exploitation, privilege escalation, or active exploitation.

Executive priority

Treat as a routine-to-priority Linux kernel maintenance item, not an emergency based on current evidence. Prioritize environments where untrusted users or workloads can run local code.

Technical view

The issue occurs when copy_seccomp() runs before a fatal-signal check during clone/copy_process handling. If the embryonic task is destroyed, seccomp_filter_release() is missed, leaking seccomp_filter and related BPF allocation objects. Stable kernel commits move copy_seccomp() after the signal check.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to Linux systems running affected kernel versions or downstream builds containing the vulnerable seccomp change. Systems using seccomp, including sandboxed workloads, are more relevant. Distro backports may change version-based conclusions.

Exploitation context

Sources describe syzbot detection and a reproducer using seccomp() and clone() syscalls. Exploitation appears local and requires the ability to run code on the host. No KEV listing or cited source confirms active exploitation.

Researcher notes

The CVE record has no CVSS, CWE, or active exploitation signal. The technical evidence points to a memory leak, not a demonstrated privilege escalation. Validate affectedness through exact kernel commit ancestry or distributor backport notes.

Mitigation direction

  • Update to a Linux kernel containing the referenced stable fix commits.
  • Check your Linux distribution advisory for backported fixes.
  • Prioritize shared hosts or systems running untrusted local workloads.
  • If patch timing is constrained, monitor kernel memory pressure closely.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory kernel versions across Linux hosts.
  • Compare running kernels against vendor advisories and referenced stable commits.
  • Confirm whether seccomp is used by workloads on affected hosts.
  • Review kernel logs and monitoring for abnormal memory growth.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
7

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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 · low confidence lookup

CVE-2022-50661 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
6Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux3a15fb6ed92cb32b0a83f406aa4a96f28c9adbc3, 3a15fb6ed92cb32b0a83f406aa4a96f28c9adbc3, 3a15fb6ed92cb32b0a83f406aa4a96f28c9adbc3, 3a15fb6ed92cb32b0a83f406aa4a96f28c9adbc3, 3a15fb6ed92cb32b0a83f406aa4a96f28c9adbc3unaffected
LinuxLinux5.9, 0, 5.10.180, 5.15.86, 6.0.16, 6.1.2, 6.2affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.