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CVE Record

CVE-2022-50721: dmaengine: qcom-adm: fix wrong calling convention for prep_slave_sg

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: qcom-adm: fix wrong calling convention for prep_slave_sg The calling convention for pre_slave_sg is to return NULL on error and provide an error log to the system. Qcom-adm instead provide error pointer when an error occur. This indirectly cause kernel panic for example for the nandc driver that checks only if the pointer returned by device_prep_slave_sg is not NULL. Returning an error pointer makes nandc think the device_prep_slave_sg function correctly completed and makes the kernel panics later in the code. While nandc is the one that makes the kernel crash, it was pointed out that the real problem is qcom-adm not following calling convention for that function. To fix this, drop returning error pointer and return NULL with an error log.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This Linux kernel issue can cause a system crash when the Qualcomm ADM DMA driver returns an unexpected error value. The documented impact is kernel panic, affecting availability rather than data theft. Business urgency is highest for Linux systems using the affected Qualcomm driver stack, especially embedded or appliance environments.

Executive priority

Treat as a targeted availability risk. Patch through normal kernel maintenance, but accelerate for products or infrastructure using Qualcomm-based Linux platforms where unexpected reboots could disrupt operations or service commitments.

Technical view

The qcom-adm dmaengine driver did not follow the prep_slave_sg convention: it returned an error pointer instead of NULL on failure. Callers such as the NAND controller driver may treat the non-NULL value as success and later panic the kernel. Upstream stable fixes change the behavior to return NULL and log the error.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux kernels in affected version ranges with Qualcomm ADM dmaengine usage, particularly systems involving the NAND controller path described. Generic Linux servers without this hardware or driver path are less likely exposed. The source bundle does not provide distribution-specific affected package lists.

Exploitation context

No active exploitation is indicated in the provided sources, and the CVE is not marked KEV. The described failure mode is a kernel panic triggered through driver error handling. Sources do not describe a remote attack path, privilege requirement, or public exploit.

Researcher notes

The available record documents root cause and stable kernel fixes, but not CVSS, CWE, exploitability prerequisites, or distribution mappings. Analysis should focus on affected kernel branches, qcom-adm driver presence, and whether vendor kernels have backported the cited commits.

Mitigation direction

  • Check vendor or distribution advisories for fixed kernel packages containing the referenced stable commits.
  • Prioritize updates for embedded, mobile, or appliance Linux systems using Qualcomm ADM DMA.
  • If patching is delayed, review whether the qcom-adm driver is present and required.
  • Monitor systems for kernel panic reports involving qcom-adm, dmaengine, or NAND controller paths.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory kernel versions and compare against vendor guidance for CVE-2022-50721.
  • Confirm whether Qualcomm ADM dmaengine support is built or loaded on relevant systems.
  • Review kernel logs for related error messages or panic traces.
  • Verify installed kernel includes one of the referenced upstream stable fixes or vendor backport.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

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

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CVE-2022-50721 mapping review

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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
4Source 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
LinuxLinux5c9f8c2dbdbe53818bcde6aa6695e1331e5f841f, 5c9f8c2dbdbe53818bcde6aa6695e1331e5f841f, 5c9f8c2dbdbe53818bcde6aa6695e1331e5f841funaffected
LinuxLinux5.11, 0, 5.19.17, 6.0.3, 6.1affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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