# CVE-2022-50095: posix-cpu-timers: Cleanup CPU timers before freeing them during exec

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel posix-cpu-timers allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges via a race condition during execve.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50095, GHSA-99wc-552w-7m28, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2022-50095, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50095

## What is CVE-2022-50095?

CVE-2022-50095 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

posix-cpu-timers: Cleanup CPU timers before freeing them during exec

Commit 55e8c8eb2c7b ("posix-cpu-timers: Store a reference to a pid not a
task") started looking up tasks by PID when deleting a CPU timer.

When a non-leader thread calls execve, it will switch PIDs with the leader
process. Then, as it calls exit_itimers, posix_cpu_timer_del cannot find
the task because the timer still points out to the old PID.

That means that armed timers won't be disarmed, that is, they won't be
removed from the timerqueue_list. exit_itimers will still release their
memory, and when that list is later processed, it leads to a
use-after-free.

Clean up the timers from the de-threaded task before freeing them. This
prevents a reported use-after-free.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50095?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-50095?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-50095 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50095 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## 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-2022-50095 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-50095 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50095 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2022-50095/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50095/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50095
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-50095
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-50095

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50095/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.