CVE-2022-50240: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: android: binder: stop saving a pointer to the VMA Do not record a pointer to a V...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: android: binder: stop saving a pointer to the VMA Do not record a pointer to a VMA outside of the mmap_lock for later use. This is unsafe and there are a number of failure paths *after* the recorded VMA pointer may be freed during setup. There is no callback to the driver to clear the saved pointer from generic mm code. Furthermore, the VMA pointer may become stale if any number of VMA operations end up freeing the VMA so saving it was fragile to being with. Instead, change the binder_alloc struct to record the start address of the VMA and use vma_lookup() to get the vma when needed. Add lockdep mmap_lock checks on updates to the vma pointer to ensure the lock is held and depend on that lock for synchronization of readers and writers - which was already the case anyways, so the smp_wmb()/smp_rmb() was not necessary. [akpm@linux-foundation.org: fix drivers/android/binder_alloc_selftest.c]

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.15%

4.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-416

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 4.20, < 5.4.224
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.5, < 5.10.154
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.11, < 5.15.61
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.16, < 5.18.18
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.19, < 5.19.2

References

Timeline

Published: Sep 15, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-50240?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: android: binder: stop saving a pointer to the VMA Do not record a pointer to a VMA outside of the mmap_lock for later use. This is unsafe and there are a number of failure paths *after* the recorded VMA pointer may be freed during setup. There is no callback to the driver to clear the saved pointer from generic mm code. Furthermore, the VMA pointer may become stale if any number of VMA operations end up freeing the VMA so saving it was fragile to being with. Instead, change the binder_alloc struct to record the start address of the VMA and use vma_lookup() to get the vma when needed. Add lockdep mmap_lock checks on updates to the vma pointer to ensure the lock is held and depend on that lock for synchronization of readers and writers - which was already the case anyways, so the smp_wmb()/smp_rmb() was not necessary. [akpm@linux-foundation.org: fix drivers/android/binder_alloc_selftest.c]

How severe is CVE-2022-50240?

CVE-2022-50240 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.15% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-50240?

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.