Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2024-57892 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 58f9e20e2a7602e1dd649a1ec4790077c251cb6c, 8ff6f635a08c30559ded0c110c7ce03ba7747d11, f44e6d70c100614c211703f065cad448050e4a0e 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 0.22% 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 58f9e20e2a7602e1dd649a1ec4790077c251cb6c or 8ff6f635a08c30559ded0c110c7ce03ba7747d11 or f44e6d70c100614c211703f065cad448050e4a0e or 2d431192486367eee03cc28d0b53b97dafcb8e63, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.125 or 6.6.70 or 6.12.9, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 8f9e8f5fcc059a3cba87ce837c88316797ef3645 up to, but not including, 58f9e20e2a7602e1dd649a1ec4790077c251cb6c; 8f9e8f5fcc059a3cba87ce837c88316797ef3645 up to, but not including, 8ff6f635a08c30559ded0c110c7ce03ba7747d11; 8f9e8f5fcc059a3cba87ce837c88316797ef3645 up to, but not including, f44e6d70c100614c211703f065cad448050e4a0e; 8f9e8f5fcc059a3cba87ce837c88316797ef3645 up to, but not including, 2d431192486367eee03cc28d0b53b97dafcb8e63; 8f9e8f5fcc059a3cba87ce837c88316797ef3645 up to, but not including, 2e3d203b1adede46bbba049e497765d67865be18; 8f9e8f5fcc059a3cba87ce837c88316797ef3645 up to, but not including, ba950a02d8d23811aa1120affd3adedcfac6153d; 8f9e8f5fcc059a3cba87ce837c88316797ef3645 up to, but not including, 5f3fd772d152229d94602bca243fbb658068a597; 4.6 | 58f9e20e2a7602e1dd649a1ec4790077c251cb6c, 8ff6f635a08c30559ded0c110c7ce03ba7747d11, f44e6d70c100614c211703f065cad448050e4a0e, 2d431192486367eee03cc28d0b53b97dafcb8e63, 2e3d203b1adede46bbba049e497765d67865be18, ba950a02d8d23811aa1120affd3adedcfac6153d |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 4.6 up to, but not including, 6.1.125; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.70; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.9; 6.13 | 6.1.125, 6.6.70, 6.12.9 |
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: ocfs2: fix slab-use-after-free due to dangling pointer dqi_priv When mounting ocfs2 and then remounting it as read-only, a slab-use-after-free occurs after the user uses a syscall to quota_getnextquota. Specifically, sb_dqinfo(sb, type)->dqi_priv is the dangling pointer. During the remounting process, the pointer dqi_priv is freed but is never set as null leaving it to be accessed. Additionally, the read-only option for remounting sets the DQUOT_SUSPENDED flag instead of setting the DQUOT_USAGE_ENABLED flags. Moreover, later in the process of getting the next quota, the function ocfs2_get_next_id is called and only checks the quota usage flags and not the quota suspended flags. To fix this, I set dqi_priv to null when it is freed after remounting with read-only and put a check for DQUOT_SUSPENDED in ocfs2_get_next_id. [[email protected]: coding-style cleanups]
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
Other references
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/58f9e20e2a7602e1dd649a1ec4790077c251cb6c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ff6f635a08c30559ded0c110c7ce03ba7747d11
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f44e6d70c100614c211703f065cad448050e4a0e
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00002.html
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
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- 7.8 High severity
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- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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