# CVE-2022-50227: KVM: x86/xen: Initialize Xen timer only once

> A missing check in KVM Xen timer initialization causes a kernel crash, allowing local attackers to trigger a denial of service.

- **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-2022-50227, GHSA-48p3-p675-p77f, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50227

## What is CVE-2022-50227?

CVE-2022-50227 is a high-severity 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:

KVM: x86/xen: Initialize Xen timer only once

Add a check for existing xen timers before initializing a new one.

Currently kvm_xen_init_timer() is called on every
KVM_XEN_VCPU_ATTR_TYPE_TIMER, which is causing the following ODEBUG
crash when vcpu->arch.xen.timer is already set.

ODEBUG: init active (active state 0)
object type: hrtimer hint: xen_timer_callbac0
RIP: 0010:debug_print_object+0x16e/0x250 lib/debugobjects.c:502
Call Trace:
__debug_object_init
debug_hrtimer_init
debug_init
hrtimer_init
kvm_xen_init_timer
kvm_xen_vcpu_set_attr
kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl
kvm_vcpu_ioctl
vfs_ioctl

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50227?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-50227?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-50227 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50227 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-2022-50227 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-50227 is a high-severity 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-2022-50227 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-2022-50227/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50227/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50227
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-50227
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-50227

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50227/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.