Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2024-46796 is a high-severity use after 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 5a72d1edb0843e4c927a4096f81e631031c25c28, 762099898309218b4a7954f3d49e985dc4dfd638, f9c169b51b6ce20394594ef674d6b10efba31220 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 0.44% 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 5a72d1edb0843e4c927a4096f81e631031c25c28 or 762099898309218b4a7954f3d49e985dc4dfd638 or f9c169b51b6ce20394594ef674d6b10efba31220 or 6.6.51, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.6.51 or 6.10.10, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 1e60bc0e954389af82f1d9a85f13a63f6572350f up to, but not including, 5a72d1edb0843e4c927a4096f81e631031c25c28; 71f15c90e785d1de4bcd65a279e7256684c25c0d up to, but not including, 762099898309218b4a7954f3d49e985dc4dfd638; 71f15c90e785d1de4bcd65a279e7256684c25c0d up to, but not including, f9c169b51b6ce20394594ef674d6b10efba31220; 6.6.32 up to, but not including, 6.6.51; 6.9 | 5a72d1edb0843e4c927a4096f81e631031c25c28, 762099898309218b4a7954f3d49e985dc4dfd638, f9c169b51b6ce20394594ef674d6b10efba31220, 6.6.51 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.6.32 up to, but not including, 6.6.51; 6.9 up to, but not including, 6.10.10; 6.11 | 6.6.51, 6.10.10 |
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
- 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 | 9.8 | Critical | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix double put of @cfile in smb2_set_path_size() If smb2_compound_op() is called with a valid @cfile and returned -EINVAL, we need to call cifs_get_writable_path() before retrying it as the reference of @cfile was already dropped by previous call. This fixes the following KASAN splat when running fstests generic/013 against Windows Server 2022: CIFS: Attempting to mount //w22-fs0/scratch run fstests generic/013 at 2024-09-02 19:48:59 ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200 Write of size 8 at addr ffff88811f1a3730 by task kworker/3:2/176 CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 176 Comm: kworker/3:2 Not tainted 6.11.0-rc6 #2 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-2.fc40 04/01/2014 Workqueue: cifsoplockd cifs_oplock_break [cifs] Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x5d/0x80 ? detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200 print_report+0x156/0x4d9 ? detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x145/0x300 ? __phys_addr+0x46/0x90 ? detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200 kasan_report+0xda/0x110 ? detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200 detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200 timer_delete+0x96/0xe0 ? __pfx_timer_delete+0x10/0x10 ? rcu_is_watching+0x20/0x50 try_to_grab_pending+0x46/0x3b0 __cancel_work+0x89/0x1b0 ? __pfx___cancel_work+0x10/0x10 ? kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 cifs_close_deferred_file+0x110/0x2c0 [cifs] ? __pfx_cifs_close_deferred_file+0x10/0x10 [cifs] ? __pfx_down_read+0x10/0x10 cifs_oplock_break+0x4c1/0xa50 [cifs] ? __pfx_cifs_oplock_break+0x10/0x10 [cifs] ? lock_is_held_type+0x85/0xf0 ? mark_held_locks+0x1a/0x90 process_one_work+0x4c6/0x9f0 ? find_held_lock+0x8a/0xa0 ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 ? lock_acquired+0x220/0x550 ? __list_add_valid_or_report+0x37/0x100 worker_thread+0x2e4/0x570 ? __kthread_parkme+0xd1/0xf0 ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 kthread+0x17f/0x1c0 ? kthread+0xda/0x1c0 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork+0x31/0x60 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 </TASK> Allocated by task 1118: kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0 cifs_new_fileinfo+0xc8/0x9d0 [cifs] cifs_atomic_open+0x467/0x770 [cifs] lookup_open.isra.0+0x665/0x8b0 path_openat+0x4c3/0x1380 do_filp_open+0x167/0x270 do_sys_openat2+0x129/0x160 __x64_sys_creat+0xad/0xe0 do_syscall_64+0xbb/0x1d0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Freed by task 83: kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x70 poison_slab_object+0xe9/0x160 __kasan_slab_free+0x32/0x50 kfree+0xf2/0x300 process_one_work+0x4c6/0x9f0 worker_thread+0x2e4/0x570 kthread+0x17f/0x1c0 ret_from_fork+0x31/0x60 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Last potentially related work creation: kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50 __kasan_record_aux_stack+0xad/0xc0 insert_work+0x29/0xe0 __queue_work+0x5ea/0x760 queue_work_on+0x6d/0x90 _cifsFileInfo_put+0x3f6/0x770 [cifs] smb2_compound_op+0x911/0x3940 [cifs] smb2_set_path_size+0x228/0x270 [cifs] cifs_set_file_size+0x197/0x460 [cifs] cifs_setattr+0xd9c/0x14b0 [cifs] notify_change+0x4e3/0x740 do_truncate+0xfa/0x180 vfs_truncate+0x195/0x200 __x64_sys_truncate+0x109/0x150 do_syscall_64+0xbb/0x1d0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
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
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
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