Linux: Double Free
CVE-2024-36030 is a high-severity double free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 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 f5aa87a2c0a72132ffc793fb0a5375b2a65d520a, 6e965eba43e9724f3e603d7b7cc83e53b23d155e 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 0.23% 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 f5aa87a2c0a72132ffc793fb0a5375b2a65d520a or 6e965eba43e9724f3e603d7b7cc83e53b23d155e, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.8.9 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | dd7842878633453e38d6a4927593dd28b9d8ab91 up to, but not including, f5aa87a2c0a72132ffc793fb0a5375b2a65d520a; dd7842878633453e38d6a4927593dd28b9d8ab91 up to, but not including, 6e965eba43e9724f3e603d7b7cc83e53b23d155e; 6.8 | f5aa87a2c0a72132ffc793fb0a5375b2a65d520a, 6e965eba43e9724f3e603d7b7cc83e53b23d155e |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.8 up to, but not including, 6.8.9; 6.9 | 6.8.9 |
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
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- 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:N/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: octeontx2-af: fix the double free in rvu_npc_freemem() Clang static checker(scan-build) warning： drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_npc.c:line 2184, column 2 Attempt to free released memory. npc_mcam_rsrcs_deinit() has released 'mcam->counters.bmap'. Deleted this redundant kfree() to fix this double free problem.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Double Free
The product calls free() twice on the same memory address.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- Ensure that each allocation is freed only once. After freeing a chunk, set the pointer to NULL to ensure the pointer cannot be freed again. In complicated error conditions, be sure that clean-up routines respect the state of allocation properly. If the language is object oriented, ensure that object destructors delete each chunk of memory only once.
- Use a static analysis tool to find double free instances.
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 Double Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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