Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2024-43883 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 5a3c473b28ae1c1f7c4dc129e30cb19ae6e96f89, 9c3746ce8d8fcb3a2405644fc0eec7fc5312de80, 4dacdb9720aaab10b6be121eae55820174d97174 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 0.65% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 52% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 5a3c473b28ae1c1f7c4dc129e30cb19ae6e96f89 or 9c3746ce8d8fcb3a2405644fc0eec7fc5312de80 or 4dacdb9720aaab10b6be121eae55820174d97174 or e8c1e606dab8c56cf074b43b98d0805de7322ba2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 4.19.320 or 5.4.282 or 5.10.224 or 5.15.165, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 7606ee8aa33287dd3e6eb44c78541b87a413a325 up to, but not including, 5a3c473b28ae1c1f7c4dc129e30cb19ae6e96f89; 7606ee8aa33287dd3e6eb44c78541b87a413a325 up to, but not including, 9c3746ce8d8fcb3a2405644fc0eec7fc5312de80; 7606ee8aa33287dd3e6eb44c78541b87a413a325 up to, but not including, 4dacdb9720aaab10b6be121eae55820174d97174; 7606ee8aa33287dd3e6eb44c78541b87a413a325 up to, but not including, e8c1e606dab8c56cf074b43b98d0805de7322ba2; 7606ee8aa33287dd3e6eb44c78541b87a413a325 up to, but not including, 585e6bc7d0a9bf73a8be3d3fb34e86b90cc61a14; 7606ee8aa33287dd3e6eb44c78541b87a413a325 up to, but not including, 128e82e41cf7d74a562726c1587d9d2ede1a0a37; 7606ee8aa33287dd3e6eb44c78541b87a413a325 up to, but not including, c3d0857b7fc2c49f68f89128a5440176089a8f54; 7606ee8aa33287dd3e6eb44c78541b87a413a325 up to, but not including, afdcfd3d6fcdeca2735ca8d994c5f2d24a368f0a; and 11 more ranges | 5a3c473b28ae1c1f7c4dc129e30cb19ae6e96f89, 9c3746ce8d8fcb3a2405644fc0eec7fc5312de80, 4dacdb9720aaab10b6be121eae55820174d97174, e8c1e606dab8c56cf074b43b98d0805de7322ba2, 585e6bc7d0a9bf73a8be3d3fb34e86b90cc61a14, 128e82e41cf7d74a562726c1587d9d2ede1a0a37 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | before 4.19.320; 4.20 up to, but not including, 5.4.282; 5.5 up to, but not including, 5.10.224; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.165; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.105; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.46; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.10.5; 6.11 | 4.19.320, 5.4.282, 5.10.224, 5.15.165, 6.1.105, 6.6.46 |
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 | 9.8 | Critical | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.0 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: vhci-hcd: Do not drop references before new references are gained At a few places the driver carries stale pointers to references that can still be used. Make sure that does not happen. This strictly speaking closes ZDI-CAN-22273, though there may be similar races in the driver.
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/128e82e41cf7d74a562726c1587d9d2ede1a0a37
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4dacdb9720aaab10b6be121eae55820174d97174
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/585e6bc7d0a9bf73a8be3d3fb34e86b90cc61a14
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a3c473b28ae1c1f7c4dc129e30cb19ae6e96f89
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c3746ce8d8fcb3a2405644fc0eec7fc5312de80
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/afdcfd3d6fcdeca2735ca8d994c5f2d24a368f0a
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3d0857b7fc2c49f68f89128a5440176089a8f54
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e8c1e606dab8c56cf074b43b98d0805de7322ba2
Other references
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
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