# CVE-2022-50552: blk-mq: use quiesced elevator switch when reinitializing queues

> A race condition in the Linux kernel block layer can cause a use-after-free error, leading to kernel panics and 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:** 7 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 1 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-76631, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50552, GHSA-8p56-6q52-jgv2, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2022-50552, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2022-50552, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50552

## What is CVE-2022-50552?

CVE-2022-50552 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 7 Oct 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:

blk-mq: use quiesced elevator switch when reinitializing queues

The hctx's run_work may be racing with the elevator switch when
reinitializing hardware queues. The queue is merely frozen in this
context, but that only prevents requests from allocating and doesn't
stop the hctx work from running. The work may get an elevator pointer
that's being torn down, and can result in use-after-free errors and
kernel panics (example below). Use the quiesced elevator switch instead,
and make the previous one static since it is now only used locally.

  nvme nvme0: resetting controller
  nvme nvme0: 32/0/0 default/read/poll queues
  BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008
  #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
  #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
  PGD 80000020c8861067 P4D 80000020c8861067 PUD 250f8c8067 PMD 0
  Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP PTI
  Workqueue: kblockd blk_mq_run_work_fn
  RIP: 0010:kyber_has_work+0x29/0x70

...

  Call Trace:
   __blk_mq_do_dispatch_sched+0x83/0x2b0
   __blk_mq_sched_dispatch_requests+0x12e/0x170
   blk_mq_sched_dispatch_requests+0x30/0x60
   __blk_mq_run_hw_queue+0x2b/0x50
   process_one_work+0x1ef/0x380
   worker_thread+0x2d/0x3e0

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50552?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-50552?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-50552 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50552 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-2022-50552 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-50552 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 7 Oct 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-2022-50552 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-2022-50552/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50552/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50552
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-50552
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-50552

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50552/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.