Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2024-53143 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 45a8f8232a495221ed058191629f5c628f21601a, 83af1cfa10d9aafdabd06b3655e07727f373b434, 21d1b618b6b9da46c5116c640ac4b1cc8d40d63a 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 45a8f8232a495221ed058191629f5c628f21601a or 83af1cfa10d9aafdabd06b3655e07727f373b434 or 21d1b618b6b9da46c5116c640ac4b1cc8d40d63a, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.11.11 or 6.12.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | d2f277e26f521ccf6fb438463b41dba6123caabe up to, but not including, 45a8f8232a495221ed058191629f5c628f21601a; d2f277e26f521ccf6fb438463b41dba6123caabe up to, but not including, 83af1cfa10d9aafdabd06b3655e07727f373b434; d2f277e26f521ccf6fb438463b41dba6123caabe up to, but not including, 21d1b618b6b9da46c5116c640ac4b1cc8d40d63a; 6.10 | 45a8f8232a495221ed058191629f5c628f21601a, 83af1cfa10d9aafdabd06b3655e07727f373b434, 21d1b618b6b9da46c5116c640ac4b1cc8d40d63a |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.10 up to, but not including, 6.11.11; 6.12 up to, but not including, 6.12.2 | 6.11.11, 6.12.2 |
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 CISA (ADP).
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fsnotify: Fix ordering of iput() and watched_objects decrement Ensure the superblock is kept alive until we're done with iput(). Holding a reference to an inode is not allowed unless we ensure the superblock stays alive, which fsnotify does by keeping the watched_objects count elevated, so iput() must happen before the watched_objects decrement. This can lead to a UAF of something like sb->s_fs_info in tmpfs, but the UAF is hard to hit because race orderings that oops are more likely, thanks to the CHECK_DATA_CORRUPTION() block in generic_shutdown_super(). Also, ensure that fsnotify_put_sb_watched_objects() doesn't call fsnotify_sb_watched_objects() on a superblock that may have already been freed, which would cause a UAF read of sb->s_fsnotify_info.
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
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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