# CVE-2022-50286: ext4: fix delayed allocation bug in ext4_clu_mapped for bigalloc + inline

> A bug in the Linux kernel ext4 filesystem can cause kernel panics and memory leaks when using bigalloc and inline data options.

- **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:** 15 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50286, GHSA-r6cc-hxch-c8pj, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50286

## What is CVE-2022-50286?

CVE-2022-50286 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 15 Sep 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:

ext4: fix delayed allocation bug in ext4_clu_mapped for bigalloc + inline

When converting files with inline data to extents, delayed allocations
made on a file system created with both the bigalloc and inline options
can result in invalid extent status cache content, incorrect reserved
cluster counts, kernel memory leaks, and potential kernel panics.

With bigalloc, the code that determines whether a block must be
delayed allocated searches the extent tree to see if that block maps
to a previously allocated cluster.  If not, the block is delayed
allocated, and otherwise, it isn't.  However, if the inline option is
also used, and if the file containing the block is marked as able to
store data inline, there isn't a valid extent tree associated with
the file.  The current code in ext4_clu_mapped() calls
ext4_find_extent() to search the non-existent tree for a previously
allocated cluster anyway, which typically finds nothing, as desired.
However, a side effect of the search can be to cache invalid content
from the non-existent tree (garbage) in the extent status tree,
including bogus entries in the pending reservation tree.

To fix this, avoid searching the extent tree when allocating blocks
for bigalloc + inline files that are being converted from inline to
extent mapped.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50286?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-50286?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-50286 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50286 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-2022-50286 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-50286 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 15 Sep 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-2022-50286 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-2022-50286/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50286/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50286
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-50286
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-50286

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50286/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.