CVE-2022-50731

EPSS 0.0%
  • Published: 2025-12-24T13:15:59.770

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

crypto: akcipher – default implementation for setting a private key

Changes from v1:
* removed the default implementation from set_pub_key: it is assumed that
an implementation must always have this callback defined as there are
no use case for an algorithm, which doesn’t need a public key

Many akcipher implementations (like ECDSA) support only signature
verifications, so they don’t have all callbacks defined.

Commit 78a0324f4a53 (“crypto: akcipher – default implementations for
request callbacks”) introduced default callbacks for sign/verify
operations, which just return an error code.

However, these are not enough, because before calling sign the caller would
likely call set_priv_key first on the instantiated transform (as the
in-kernel testmgr does). This function does not have a default stub, so the
kernel crashes, when trying to set a private key on an akcipher, which
doesn’t support signature generation.

I’ve noticed this, when trying to add a KAT vector for ECDSA signature to
the testmgr.

With this patch the testmgr returns an error in dmesg (as it should)
instead of crashing the kernel NULL ptr dereference.

Related CVE by CWE

No related CWE found.

Top CVE for Vendor

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Recently Exploited Similar Vulnerabilities

No recent KEV-listed items for this vendor/product.

How to fix CVE-2022-50731

CVE-2022-50731 is a unknown severity vulnerability affecting the affected product.

Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: akcipher – default implementation for setting a private key Changes from v1: * removed the default implementation from set_pub_key: it is assumed that an implementation must always have this callback defined as there are no use case for an algorithm, which doesn’t need a […]

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

Exploit Difficulty Assessment

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

Vulnerability Timeline

Dec 24, 2025
Vulnerability Published

CVE details first published to NVD database

Dec 24, 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.