Linux: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2024-26734 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 919092bd5482b7070ae66d1daef73b600738f3a2, e91d3561e28d7665f4f837880501dc8755f635a9, def689fc26b9a9622d2e2cb0c4933dd3b1c8071c as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.24% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 919092bd5482b7070ae66d1daef73b600738f3a2 or e91d3561e28d7665f4f837880501dc8755f635a9 or def689fc26b9a9622d2e2cb0c4933dd3b1c8071c, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.6.19 or 6.7.7, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 687125b5799cd5120437fa455cfccbe8537916ff up to, but not including, 919092bd5482b7070ae66d1daef73b600738f3a2; 687125b5799cd5120437fa455cfccbe8537916ff up to, but not including, e91d3561e28d7665f4f837880501dc8755f635a9; 687125b5799cd5120437fa455cfccbe8537916ff up to, but not including, def689fc26b9a9622d2e2cb0c4933dd3b1c8071c; 6.3 | 919092bd5482b7070ae66d1daef73b600738f3a2, e91d3561e28d7665f4f837880501dc8755f635a9, def689fc26b9a9622d2e2cb0c4933dd3b1c8071c |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.3 up to, but not including, 6.6.19; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.7.7; 6.8 | 6.6.19, 6.7.7 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.0 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: devlink: fix possible use-after-free and memory leaks in devlink_init() The pernet operations structure for the subsystem must be registered before registering the generic netlink family. Make an unregister in case of unsuccessful registration.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers. When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC). To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Consider using the Boehm-Demers-Weiser garbage collector (bdwgc), which can help avoid leaks.
More Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities (CWE-401)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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