CVE-2022-49210: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: MIPS: pgalloc: fix memory leak caused by pgd_free() pgd page is freed by generic...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: MIPS: pgalloc: fix memory leak caused by pgd_free() pgd page is freed by generic implementation pgd_free() since commit f9cb654cb550 ("asm-generic: pgalloc: provide generic pgd_free()"), however, there are scenarios that the system uses more than one page as the pgd table, in such cases the generic implementation pgd_free() won't be applicable anymore. For example, when PAGE_SIZE_4KB is enabled and MIPS_VA_BITS_48 is not enabled in a 64bit system, the macro "PGD_ORDER" will be set as "1", which will cause allocating two pages as the pgd table. Well, at the same time, the generic implementation pgd_free() just free one pgd page, which will result in the memory leak. The memory leak can be easily detected by executing shell command: "while true; do ls > /dev/null; grep MemFree /proc/meminfo; done"

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.24%

14.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.9, < 5.10.110
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.11, < 5.15.33
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.16, < 5.16.19
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.17, < 5.17.2

References

Timeline

Published: Feb 26, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-49210?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: MIPS: pgalloc: fix memory leak caused by pgd_free() pgd page is freed by generic implementation pgd_free() since commit f9cb654cb550 ("asm-generic: pgalloc: provide generic pgd_free()"), however, there are scenarios that the system uses more than one page as the pgd table, in such cases the generic implementation pgd_free() won't be applicable anymore. For example, when PAGE_SIZE_4KB is enabled and MIPS_VA_BITS_48 is not enabled in a 64bit system, the macro "PGD_ORDER" will be set as "1", which will cause allocating two pages as the pgd table. Well, at the same time, the generic implementation pgd_free() just free one pgd page, which will result in the memory leak. The memory leak can be easily detected by executing shell command: "while true; do ls > /dev/null; grep MemFree /proc/meminfo; done"

How severe is CVE-2022-49210?

CVE-2022-49210 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.24% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-49210?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.