Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2024-47676 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 e897d184a8dd4a4e1f39c8c495598e4d9472776c, d59ebc99dee0a2687a26df94b901eb8216dbf876, 98b74bb4d7e96b4da5ef3126511febe55b76b807 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 0.24% 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 e897d184a8dd4a4e1f39c8c495598e4d9472776c or d59ebc99dee0a2687a26df94b901eb8216dbf876 or 98b74bb4d7e96b4da5ef3126511febe55b76b807, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.10.13 or 6.11.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 9acad7ba3e25d11f4c96df1b7312ae89e6faca5c up to, but not including, e897d184a8dd4a4e1f39c8c495598e4d9472776c; 9acad7ba3e25d11f4c96df1b7312ae89e6faca5c up to, but not including, d59ebc99dee0a2687a26df94b901eb8216dbf876; 9acad7ba3e25d11f4c96df1b7312ae89e6faca5c up to, but not including, 98b74bb4d7e96b4da5ef3126511febe55b76b807; 6.9 | e897d184a8dd4a4e1f39c8c495598e4d9472776c, d59ebc99dee0a2687a26df94b901eb8216dbf876, 98b74bb4d7e96b4da5ef3126511febe55b76b807 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.9 up to, but not including, 6.10.13; 6.11 up to, but not including, 6.11.2 | 6.10.13, 6.11.2 |
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 | 7.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/hugetlb.c: fix UAF of vma in hugetlb fault pathway Syzbot reports a UAF in hugetlb_fault(). This happens because vmf_anon_prepare() could drop the per-VMA lock and allow the current VMA to be freed before hugetlb_vma_unlock_read() is called. We can fix this by using a modified version of vmf_anon_prepare() that doesn't release the VMA lock on failure, and then release it ourselves after hugetlb_vma_unlock_read().
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
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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