# CVE-2022-50673: ext4: fix use-after-free in ext4_orphan_cleanup

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code during mount operations.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50673, GHSA-8h9v-mf84-vh83, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50673

## What is CVE-2022-50673?

CVE-2022-50673 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 9 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

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

ext4: fix use-after-free in ext4_orphan_cleanup

I caught a issue as follows:
==================================================================
 BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in __list_add_valid+0x28/0x1a0
 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88814b13f378 by task mount/710

 CPU: 1 PID: 710 Comm: mount Not tainted 6.1.0-rc3-next #370
 Call Trace:
  <TASK>
  dump_stack_lvl+0x73/0x9f
  print_report+0x25d/0x759
  kasan_report+0xc0/0x120
  __asan_load8+0x99/0x140
  __list_add_valid+0x28/0x1a0
  ext4_orphan_cleanup+0x564/0x9d0 [ext4]
  __ext4_fill_super+0x48e2/0x5300 [ext4]
  ext4_fill_super+0x19f/0x3a0 [ext4]
  get_tree_bdev+0x27b/0x450
  ext4_get_tree+0x19/0x30 [ext4]
  vfs_get_tree+0x49/0x150
  path_mount+0xaae/0x1350
  do_mount+0xe2/0x110
  __x64_sys_mount+0xf0/0x190
  do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80
  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd
  </TASK>
 [...]
==================================================================

Above issue may happen as follows:
-------------------------------------
ext4_fill_super
  ext4_orphan_cleanup
   --- loop1: assume last_orphan is 12 ---
    list_add(&EXT4_I(inode)->i_orphan, &EXT4_SB(sb)->s_orphan)
    ext4_truncate --> return 0
      ext4_inode_attach_jinode --> return -ENOMEM
    iput(inode) --> free inode<12>
   --- loop2: last_orphan is still 12 ---
    list_add(&EXT4_I(inode)->i_orphan, &EXT4_SB(sb)->s_orphan);
    // use inode<12> and trigger UAF

To solve this issue, we need to propagate the return value of
ext4_inode_attach_jinode() appropriately.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50673?


## How do I fix CVE-2022-50673?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-50673 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50673 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-50673 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-50673 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 9 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50673 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2022-50673/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50673/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50673
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-50673
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-50673

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50673/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.