Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2024-41049 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.0 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 1cbbb3d9475c403ebedc327490c7c2b991398197, 7d4c14f4b511fd4c0dc788084ae59b4656ace58b, 02a8964260756c70b20393ad4006948510ac9967 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 0.28% 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 1cbbb3d9475c403ebedc327490c7c2b991398197 or 7d4c14f4b511fd4c0dc788084ae59b4656ace58b or 02a8964260756c70b20393ad4006948510ac9967 or 5cb36e35bc10ea334810937990c2b9023dacb1b0, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 5.4.280 or 5.10.222 or 5.15.163 or 6.1.100, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 117fb80cd1e63c419c7a221ce070becb4bfc7b6d up to, but not including, 1cbbb3d9475c403ebedc327490c7c2b991398197; a6f4129378ca15f62cbdde09a7d3ccc35adcf49d up to, but not including, 7d4c14f4b511fd4c0dc788084ae59b4656ace58b; 766e56faddbec2eaf70c9299e1c9ef74d846d32b up to, but not including, 02a8964260756c70b20393ad4006948510ac9967; 34bff6d850019e00001129d6de3aa4874c2cf471 up to, but not including, 5cb36e35bc10ea334810937990c2b9023dacb1b0; 74f6f5912693ce454384eaeec48705646a21c74f up to, but not including, 432b06b69d1d354a171f7499141116536579eb6a; 74f6f5912693ce454384eaeec48705646a21c74f up to, but not including, 116599f6a26906cf33f67975c59f0692ecf7e9b2; 74f6f5912693ce454384eaeec48705646a21c74f up to, but not including, 1b3ec4f7c03d4b07bad70697d7e2f4088d2cfe92; e75396988bb9b3b90e6e8690604d0f566cea403a; and 6 more ranges | 1cbbb3d9475c403ebedc327490c7c2b991398197, 7d4c14f4b511fd4c0dc788084ae59b4656ace58b, 02a8964260756c70b20393ad4006948510ac9967, 5cb36e35bc10ea334810937990c2b9023dacb1b0, 432b06b69d1d354a171f7499141116536579eb6a, 116599f6a26906cf33f67975c59f0692ecf7e9b2 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.4.257 up to, but not including, 5.4.280; 5.10.197 up to, but not including, 5.10.222; 5.15.133 up to, but not including, 5.15.163; 6.1.55 up to, but not including, 6.1.100; 6.6 up to, but not including, 6.6.41; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.9.10 | 5.4.280, 5.10.222, 5.15.163, 6.1.100, 6.6.41, 6.9.10 |
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
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- 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:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.0 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: filelock: fix potential use-after-free in posix_lock_inode Light Hsieh reported a KASAN UAF warning in trace_posix_lock_inode(). The request pointer had been changed earlier to point to a lock entry that was added to the inode's list. However, before the tracepoint could fire, another task raced in and freed that lock. Fix this by moving the tracepoint inside the spinlock, which should ensure that this doesn't happen.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
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
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/02a8964260756c70b20393ad4006948510ac9967
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/116599f6a26906cf33f67975c59f0692ecf7e9b2
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b3ec4f7c03d4b07bad70697d7e2f4088d2cfe92
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1cbbb3d9475c403ebedc327490c7c2b991398197
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/432b06b69d1d354a171f7499141116536579eb6a
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5cb36e35bc10ea334810937990c2b9023dacb1b0
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d4c14f4b511fd4c0dc788084ae59b4656ace58b
Other references
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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