Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2024-50293 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 d2cc492124e1f22daa1700f069bcc58788043381, d293958a8595ba566fb90b99da4d6263e14fee15 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 0.21% 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 d2cc492124e1f22daa1700f069bcc58788043381 or d293958a8595ba566fb90b99da4d6263e14fee15, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.11.8 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | d25a92ccae6bed02327b63d138e12e7806830f78 up to, but not including, d2cc492124e1f22daa1700f069bcc58788043381; d25a92ccae6bed02327b63d138e12e7806830f78 up to, but not including, d293958a8595ba566fb90b99da4d6263e14fee15; 6.11 | d2cc492124e1f22daa1700f069bcc58788043381, d293958a8595ba566fb90b99da4d6263e14fee15 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.11 up to, but not including, 6.11.8; 6.12 | 6.11.8 |
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 | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: do not leave a dangling sk pointer in __smc_create() Thanks to commit 4bbd360a5084 ("socket: Print pf->create() when it does not clear sock->sk on failure."), syzbot found an issue with AF_SMC: smc_create must clear sock->sk on failure, family: 43, type: 1, protocol: 0 WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 5827 at net/socket.c:1565 __sock_create+0x96f/0xa30 net/socket.c:1563 Modules linked in: CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 5827 Comm: syz-executor259 Not tainted 6.12.0-rc6-next-20241106-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 09/13/2024 RIP: 0010:__sock_create+0x96f/0xa30 net/socket.c:1563 Code: 03 00 74 08 4c 89 e7 e8 4f 3b 85 f8 49 8b 34 24 48 c7 c7 40 89 0c 8d 8b 54 24 04 8b 4c 24 0c 44 8b 44 24 08 e8 32 78 db f7 90 <0f> 0b 90 90 e9 d3 fd ff ff 89 e9 80 e1 07 fe c1 38 c1 0f 8c ee f7 RSP: 0018:ffffc90003e4fda0 EFLAGS: 00010246 RAX: 099c6f938c7f4700 RBX: 1ffffffff1a595fd RCX: ffff888034823c00 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000000 RBP: 00000000ffffffe9 R08: ffffffff81567052 R09: 1ffff920007c9f50 R10: dffffc0000000000 R11: fffff520007c9f51 R12: ffffffff8d2cafe8 R13: 1ffffffff1a595fe R14: ffffffff9a789c40 R15: ffff8880764298c0 FS: 000055557b518380(0000) GS:ffff8880b8600000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007fa62ff43225 CR3: 0000000031628000 CR4: 00000000003526f0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> sock_create net/socket.c:1616 [inline] __sys_socket_create net/socket.c:1653 [inline] __sys_socket+0x150/0x3c0 net/socket.c:1700 __do_sys_socket net/socket.c:1714 [inline] __se_sys_socket net/socket.c:1712 [inline] For reference, see commit 2d859aff775d ("Merge branch 'do-not-leave-dangling-sk-pointers-in-pf-create-functions'")
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: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.