# CVE-2022-2503: Linux Kernel LoadPin bypass via dm-verity table reload

> Root users can bypass LoadPin security restrictions via dm-verity table reloads to load unverified kernel modules, enabling arbitrary code execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Aug 2022
- **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-10559, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-2503, GHSA-6vq3-w69p-w63m, GHSA-j7xr-c5x7-xr2p, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-2503

## What is CVE-2022-2503?

CVE-2022-2503 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 12 Aug 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Dm-verity is used for extending root-of-trust to root filesystems. LoadPin builds on this property to restrict module/firmware loads to just the trusted root filesystem. Device-mapper table reloads currently allow users with root privileges to switch out the target with an equivalent dm-linear target and bypass verification till reboot. This allows root to bypass LoadPin and can be used to load untrusted and unverified kernel modules and firmware, which implies arbitrary kernel execution and persistence for peripherals that do not verify firmware updates. We recommend upgrading past commit 4caae58406f8ceb741603eee460d79bacca9b1b5

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), CWE-302 (Authentication Bypass by Assumed-Immutable Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-2503?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-2503?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-2503 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-2503 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-2503 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-2503 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 12 Aug 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-2503 exists.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2503/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2503/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-2503
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-2503
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-2503

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2503/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.