CVE-2022-50417 drm/panfrost: Fix GEM handle creation ref-counting
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Panfrost GPU driver allows local attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges.
- 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
What is CVE-2022-50417?
CVE-2022-50417 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 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:
drm/panfrost: Fix GEM handle creation ref-counting
panfrost_gem_create_with_handle() previously returned a BO but with the only reference being from the handle, which user space could in theory guess and release, causing a use-after-free. Additionally if the call to panfrost_gem_mapping_get() in panfrost_ioctl_create_bo() failed then a(nother) reference on the BO was dropped.
The _create_with_handle() is a problematic pattern, so ditch it and instead create the handle in panfrost_ioctl_create_bo(). If the call to panfrost_gem_mapping_get() fails then this means that user space has indeed gone behind our back and freed the handle. In which case just return an error code.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50417?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2022-50417?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2022-50417 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50417 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50417, GHSA-pjx4-hm8g-pcg2, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50417.