Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2024-26957

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.19.312 / 5.4.274 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/zcrypt: fix reference counting on zcrypt card objects Tests with hot-plugging crytpo cards on KVM guests with debug kernel build revealed an use after free for the load field of the struct zcrypt_card. The reason was an incorrect reference handling of the zcrypt card object which could lead to a free of the zcrypt card object while it was still in use. This is an example of the slab message: kernel: 0x00000000885a7512-0x00000000885a7513 @offset=1298. First byte 0x68 instead of 0x6b kernel: Allocated in zcrypt_card_alloc+0x36/0x70 [zcrypt] age=18046 cpu=3 pid=43 kernel: kmalloc_trace+0x3f2/0x470 kernel: zcrypt_card_alloc+0x36/0x70 [zcrypt] kernel: zcrypt_cex4_card_probe+0x26/0x380 [zcrypt_cex4] kernel: ap_device_probe+0x15c/0x290 kernel: really_probe+0xd2/0x468 kernel: driver_probe_device+0x40/0xf0 kernel: __device_attach_driver+0xc0/0x140 kernel: bus_for_each_drv+0x8c/0xd0 kernel: __device_attach+0x114/0x198 kernel: bus_probe_device+0xb4/0xc8 kernel: device_add+0x4d2/0x6e0 kernel: ap_scan_adapter+0x3d0/0x7c0 kernel: ap_scan_bus+0x5a/0x3b0 kernel: ap_scan_bus_wq_callback+0x40/0x60 kernel: process_one_work+0x26e/0x620 kernel: worker_thread+0x21c/0x440 kernel: Freed in zcrypt_card_put+0x54/0x80 [zcrypt] age=9024 cpu=3 pid=43 kernel: kfree+0x37e/0x418 kernel: zcrypt_card_put+0x54/0x80 [zcrypt] kernel: ap_device_remove+0x4c/0xe0 kernel: device_release_driver_internal+0x1c4/0x270 kernel: bus_remove_device+0x100/0x188 kernel: device_del+0x164/0x3c0 kernel: device_unregister+0x30/0x90 kernel: ap_scan_adapter+0xc8/0x7c0 kernel: ap_scan_bus+0x5a/0x3b0 kernel: ap_scan_bus_wq_callback+0x40/0x60 kernel: process_one_work+0x26e/0x620 kernel: worker_thread+0x21c/0x440 kernel: kthread+0x150/0x168 kernel: __ret_from_fork+0x3c/0x58 kernel: ret_from_fork+0xa/0x30 kernel: Slab 0x00000372022169c0 objects=20 used=18 fp=0x00000000885a7c88 flags=0x3ffff00000000a00(workingset|slab|node=0|zone=1|lastcpupid=0x1ffff) kernel: Object 0x00000000885a74b8 @offset=1208 fp=0x00000000885a7c88 kernel: Redzone 00000000885a74b0: bb bb bb bb bb bb bb bb ........ kernel: Object 00000000885a74b8: 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kernel: Object 00000000885a74c8: 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kernel: Object 00000000885a74d8: 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kernel: Object 00000000885a74e8: 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kernel: Object 00000000885a74f8: 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kernel: Object 00000000885a7508: 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 68 4b 6b 6b 6b a5 kkkkkkkkkkhKkkk. kernel: Redzone 00000000885a7518: bb bb bb bb bb bb bb bb ........ kernel: Padding 00000000885a756c: 5a 5a 5a 5a 5a 5a 5a 5a 5a 5a 5a 5a ZZZZZZZZZZZZ kernel: CPU: 0 PID: 387 Comm: systemd-udevd Not tainted 6.8.0-HF #2 kernel: Hardware name: IBM 3931 A01 704 (KVM/Linux) kernel: Call Trace: kernel: [<00000000ca5ab5b8>] dump_stack_lvl+0x90/0x120 kernel: [<00000000c99d78bc>] check_bytes_and_report+0x114/0x140 kernel: [<00000000c99d53cc>] check_object+0x334/0x3f8 kernel: [<00000000c99d820c>] alloc_debug_processing+0xc4/0x1f8 kernel: [<00000000c99d852e>] get_partial_node.part.0+0x1ee/0x3e0 kernel: [<00000000c99d94ec>] ___slab_alloc+0xaf4/0x13c8 kernel: [<00000000c99d9e38>] __slab_alloc.constprop.0+0x78/0xb8 kernel: [<00000000c99dc8dc>] __kmalloc+0x434/0x590 kernel: [<00000000c9b4c0ce>] ext4_htree_store_dirent+0x4e/0x1c0 kernel: [<00000000c9b908a2>] htree_dirblock_to_tree+0x17a/0x3f0 kernel: ---truncated---

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis
How this class of weakness works · CWE-416

Memory is used after it has been freed, so its contents — now potentially attacker-controlled — drive the program's behaviour. With careful heap grooming this becomes code execution. The fix requires disciplined ownership of memory and often a targeted rework of the object lifecycle.

General guidance for the use after free class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:< 4.19.312>= 4.20, < 5.4.274>= 5.5, < 5.10.215>= 5.11, < 5.15.154>= 5.16, < 6.1.84>= 6.2, < 6.6.24>= 6.7, < 6.7.12>= 6.8, < 6.8.3
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.19.312 / 5.4.274 / 5.10.215 or later
Fixed in 4.19.3125.4.2745.10.215
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux kernel 4.19.312+, 5.4.274+, 5.10.215+, or 5.15.154+ (depending on which branch is in use); Debian 10.0 with vendor security updates

  1. Identify current kernel version using `uname -r` to determine if the system is running an affected version
  2. For Debian 10.0 systems: Apply vendor security updates from Debian to obtain the patched kernel
  3. For upstream Linux: Upgrade the kernel to version 4.19.312 or later if using the 4.19.y branch
  4. For upstream Linux: Upgrade the kernel to version 5.4.274 or later if using the 5.4.y branch
  5. For upstream Linux: Upgrade the kernel to version 5.10.215 or later if using the 5.10.y branch
  6. For upstream Linux: Upgrade the kernel to version 5.15.154 or later if using the 5.15.y branch
  7. After kernel upgrade, reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
  8. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version and confirming the zcrypt module no longer exhibits the use-after-free behavior
Caveat Kernel upgrades may introduce compatibility changes with third-party modules or drivers; ensure all kernel modules are compatible with the new version before rebooting

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $3,200. Get the upgrade done

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Free · runs locally
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-26957 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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