Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2024-56554 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 fe39e0ea2d0ba7f508ff453c4c9a44a95ec0de29, 7e20434cbca814cb91a0a261ca0106815ef48e5f 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 fe39e0ea2d0ba7f508ff453c4c9a44a95ec0de29 or 7e20434cbca814cb91a0a261ca0106815ef48e5f, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.12.4 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | d579b04a52a183db47dfcb7a44304d7747d551e1 up to, but not including, fe39e0ea2d0ba7f508ff453c4c9a44a95ec0de29; d579b04a52a183db47dfcb7a44304d7747d551e1 up to, but not including, 7e20434cbca814cb91a0a261ca0106815ef48e5f; 6.12 | fe39e0ea2d0ba7f508ff453c4c9a44a95ec0de29, 7e20434cbca814cb91a0a261ca0106815ef48e5f |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.12 up to, but not including, 6.12.4 | 6.12.4 |
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: binder: fix freeze UAF in binder_release_work() When a binder reference is cleaned up, any freeze work queued in the associated process should also be removed. Otherwise, the reference is freed while its ref->freeze.work is still queued in proc->work leading to a use-after-free issue as shown by the following KASAN report: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in binder_release_work+0x398/0x3d0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff31600ee91488 by task kworker/5:1/211 CPU: 5 UID: 0 PID: 211 Comm: kworker/5:1 Not tainted 6.11.0-rc7-00382-gfc6c92196396 #22 Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) Workqueue: events binder_deferred_func Call trace: binder_release_work+0x398/0x3d0 binder_deferred_func+0xb60/0x109c process_one_work+0x51c/0xbd4 worker_thread+0x608/0xee8 Allocated by task 703: __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x130/0x280 binder_thread_write+0xdb4/0x42a0 binder_ioctl+0x18f0/0x25ac __arm64_sys_ioctl+0x124/0x190 invoke_syscall+0x6c/0x254 Freed by task 211: kfree+0xc4/0x230 binder_deferred_func+0xae8/0x109c process_one_work+0x51c/0xbd4 worker_thread+0x608/0xee8 ================================================================== This commit fixes the issue by ensuring any queued freeze work is removed when cleaning up a binder reference.
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
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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