CVE-2022-50534

  • Published: 2025-10-07T16:15:37.530

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

dm thin: Use last transaction’s pmd->root when commit failed

Recently we found a softlock up problem in dm thin pool btree lookup
code due to corrupted metadata:

Kernel panic – not syncing: softlockup: hung tasks
CPU: 7 PID: 2669225 Comm: kworker/u16:3
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996)
Workqueue: dm-thin do_worker [dm_thin_pool]
Call Trace:

dump_stack+0x9c/0xd3
panic+0x35d/0x6b9
watchdog_timer_fn.cold+0x16/0x25
__run_hrtimer+0xa2/0x2d0

RIP: 0010:__relink_lru+0x102/0x220 [dm_bufio]
__bufio_new+0x11f/0x4f0 [dm_bufio]
new_read+0xa3/0x1e0 [dm_bufio]
dm_bm_read_lock+0x33/0xd0 [dm_persistent_data]
ro_step+0x63/0x100 [dm_persistent_data]
btree_lookup_raw.constprop.0+0x44/0x220 [dm_persistent_data]
dm_btree_lookup+0x16f/0x210 [dm_persistent_data]
dm_thin_find_block+0x12c/0x210 [dm_thin_pool]
__process_bio_read_only+0xc5/0x400 [dm_thin_pool]
process_thin_deferred_bios+0x1a4/0x4a0 [dm_thin_pool]
process_one_work+0x3c5/0x730

Following process may generate a broken btree mixed with fresh and
stale btree nodes, which could get dm thin trapped in an infinite loop
while looking up data block:
Transaction 1: pmd->root = A, A->B->C // One path in btree
pmd->root = X, X->Y->Z // Copy-up
Transaction 2: X,Z is updated on disk, Y write failed.
// Commit failed, dm thin becomes read-only.
process_bio_read_only
dm_thin_find_block
__find_block
dm_btree_lookup(pmd->root)
The pmd->root points to a broken btree, Y may contain stale node
pointing to any block, for example X, which gets dm thin trapped into
a dead loop while looking up Z.

Fix this by setting pmd->root in __open_metadata(), so that dm thin
will use the last transaction’s pmd->root if commit failed.

Fetch a reproducer in [Link].

Linke: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216790

Related CVE by CWE

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How to fix CVE-2022-50534

CVE-2022-50534 is a unknown severity vulnerability affecting the affected product.

Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm thin: Use last transaction’s pmd->root when commit failed Recently we found a softlock up problem in dm thin pool btree lookup code due to corrupted metadata: Kernel panic – not syncing: softlockup: hung tasks CPU: 7 PID: 2669225 Comm: kworker/u16:3 Hardware name: QEMU Standard […]

Exploit Difficulty: HARD
⏱️ Time to exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public exploits: Rare or not public

How to Fix:

1 Identify affected systems

- Check if you're running the affected product

2 Immediate actions

- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access

3 Verification

- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)

4 Long-term prevention

- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations

Vendor Advisory: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216790

Exploit Difficulty Assessment

HARD
⏱️ Time to Exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Skills Required: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public Exploits: Rare or not public

Vulnerability Timeline

Oct 07, 2025
Vulnerability Published

CVE details first published to NVD database

Nov 12, 2025
Imported to Database

Added to this CVE tracking system

Detection Rules & IOCs

No specific detection rules generated for this vulnerability type.

No vendor/product data available.