CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-41073NVD status: Modified

Linux: Double Free

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-41073 is a high-severity double free 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 882574942a9be8b9d70d13462ddacc80c4b385ba, c5942a14f795de957ae9d66027aac8ff4fe70057, f3ab45aacd25d957547fb6d115c1574c20964b3b 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 0.67% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 53% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux to 882574942a9be8b9d70d13462ddacc80c4b385ba or c5942a14f795de957ae9d66027aac8ff4fe70057 or f3ab45aacd25d957547fb6d115c1574c20964b3b or ae84383c96d6662c24697ab6b44aae855ab670aa, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.10.237 or 5.15.164 or 6.1.101 or 6.6.42, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxf9d03f96b988002027d4b28ea1b7a24729a4c9b5 up to, but not including, 882574942a9be8b9d70d13462ddacc80c4b385ba; f9d03f96b988002027d4b28ea1b7a24729a4c9b5 up to, but not including, c5942a14f795de957ae9d66027aac8ff4fe70057; f9d03f96b988002027d4b28ea1b7a24729a4c9b5 up to, but not including, f3ab45aacd25d957547fb6d115c1574c20964b3b; f9d03f96b988002027d4b28ea1b7a24729a4c9b5 up to, but not including, ae84383c96d6662c24697ab6b44aae855ab670aa; f9d03f96b988002027d4b28ea1b7a24729a4c9b5 up to, but not including, 1b9fd1265fac85916f90b4648de02adccdb7220b; f9d03f96b988002027d4b28ea1b7a24729a4c9b5 up to, but not including, e5d574ab37f5f2e7937405613d9b1a724811e5ad; 4.10882574942a9be8b9d70d13462ddacc80c4b385ba, c5942a14f795de957ae9d66027aac8ff4fe70057, f3ab45aacd25d957547fb6d115c1574c20964b3b, ae84383c96d6662c24697ab6b44aae855ab670aa, 1b9fd1265fac85916f90b4648de02adccdb7220b, e5d574ab37f5f2e7937405613d9b1a724811e5ad
DebianDebian Linux11.0Not stated
LinuxLinux Kernel4.10 up to, but not including, 5.10.237; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.164; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.101; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.42; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.9.115.10.237, 5.15.164, 6.1.101, 6.6.42, 6.9.11

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 systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.19.8CriticalCNA
CVSS 3.17.8HighNVD

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme: avoid double free special payload If a discard request needs to be retried, and that retry may fail before a new special payload is added, a double free will result. Clear the RQF_SPECIAL_LOAD when the request is cleaned.

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.

More Double Free vulnerabilities (CWE-415)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Recent Double Free vulnerabilities

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