Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2024-44946

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-31

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.1.107 / 6.6.48 or later.

See remediation →

57/100

Remediation priority · Elevated

Zero-click Patch available

Official description

NVD · unedited

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kcm: Serialise kcm_sendmsg() for the same socket. syzkaller reported UAF in kcm_release(). [0] The scenario is 1. Thread A builds a skb with MSG_MORE and sets kcm->seq_skb. 2. Thread A resumes building skb from kcm->seq_skb but is blocked by sk_stream_wait_memory() 3. Thread B calls sendmsg() concurrently, finishes building kcm->seq_skb and puts the skb to the write queue 4. Thread A faces an error and finally frees skb that is already in the write queue 5. kcm_release() does double-free the skb in the write queue When a thread is building a MSG_MORE skb, another thread must not touch it. Let's add a per-sk mutex and serialise kcm_sendmsg(). [0]: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __skb_unlink include/linux/skbuff.h:2366 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __skb_dequeue include/linux/skbuff.h:2385 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __skb_queue_purge_reason include/linux/skbuff.h:3175 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __skb_queue_purge include/linux/skbuff.h:3181 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in kcm_release+0x170/0x4c8 net/kcm/kcmsock.c:1691 Read of size 8 at addr ffff0000ced0fc80 by task syz-executor329/6167 CPU: 1 PID: 6167 Comm: syz-executor329 Tainted: G B 6.8.0-rc5-syzkaller-g9abbc24128bc #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 01/25/2024 Call trace: dump_backtrace+0x1b8/0x1e4 arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c:291 show_stack+0x2c/0x3c arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c:298 __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0xd0/0x124 lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:377 [inline] print_report+0x178/0x518 mm/kasan/report.c:488 kasan_report+0xd8/0x138 mm/kasan/report.c:601 __asan_report_load8_noabort+0x20/0x2c mm/kasan/report_generic.c:381 __skb_unlink include/linux/skbuff.h:2366 [inline] __skb_dequeue include/linux/skbuff.h:2385 [inline] __skb_queue_purge_reason include/linux/skbuff.h:3175 [inline] __skb_queue_purge include/linux/skbuff.h:3181 [inline] kcm_release+0x170/0x4c8 net/kcm/kcmsock.c:1691 __sock_release net/socket.c:659 [inline] sock_close+0xa4/0x1e8 net/socket.c:1421 __fput+0x30c/0x738 fs/file_table.c:376 ____fput+0x20/0x30 fs/file_table.c:404 task_work_run+0x230/0x2e0 kernel/task_work.c:180 exit_task_work include/linux/task_work.h:38 [inline] do_exit+0x618/0x1f64 kernel/exit.c:871 do_group_exit+0x194/0x22c kernel/exit.c:1020 get_signal+0x1500/0x15ec kernel/signal.c:2893 do_signal+0x23c/0x3b44 arch/arm64/kernel/signal.c:1249 do_notify_resume+0x74/0x1f4 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:148 exit_to_user_mode_prepare arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:169 [inline] exit_to_user_mode arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:178 [inline] el0_svc+0xac/0x168 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:713 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x84/0xfc arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:730 el0t_64_sync+0x190/0x194 arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S:598 Allocated by task 6166: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:47 [inline] kasan_save_track+0x40/0x78 mm/kasan/common.c:68 kasan_save_alloc_info+0x70/0x84 mm/kasan/generic.c:626 unpoison_slab_object mm/kasan/common.c:314 [inline] __kasan_slab_alloc+0x74/0x8c mm/kasan/common.c:340 kasan_slab_alloc include/linux/kasan.h:201 [inline] slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slub.c:3813 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3860 [inline] kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x204/0x4c0 mm/slub.c:3903 __alloc_skb+0x19c/0x3d8 net/core/skbuff.c:641 alloc_skb include/linux/skbuff.h:1296 [inline] kcm_sendmsg+0x1d3c/0x2124 net/kcm/kcmsock.c:783 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:730 [inline] __sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:745 [inline] sock_sendmsg+0x220/0x2c0 net/socket.c:768 splice_to_socket+0x7cc/0xd58 fs/splice.c:889 do_splice_from fs/splice.c:941 [inline] direct_splice_actor+0xec/0x1d8 fs/splice.c:1164 splice_direct_to_actor+0x438/0xa0c fs/splice.c:1108 do_splice_direct_actor ---truncated---

Technical summary

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

NVD · CPE data

Linux KernelOperating system

Affected:>= 4.6, < 6.1.107>= 6.2, < 6.6.48>= 6.7, < 6.10.7= 6.11

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

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

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.1.107 / 6.6.48 / 6.10.7 or later

Fixed in 6.1.1076.6.486.10.7

Vendor patch git.kernel.org →

Recommended fix High confidence

6.1.107+ / 6.6.48+ / 6.10.7+ / 6.12+ (depending on current branch)

Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 6.1.107 or later if currently on the 6.1.x branch
Alternatively, upgrade to version 6.6.48 or later if currently on the 6.2.x through 6.6.x branch
Alternatively, upgrade to version 6.10.7 or later if currently on the 6.7.x through 6.10.x branch
Alternatively, upgrade to version 6.12 or later if currently on 6.11
After kernel upgrade, reboot the system to load the fixed kernel

Caveat Kernel upgrades may require rebuilding out-of-tree modules; ensure compatible drivers/modules are available 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 $2,850. Get the upgrade done

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-44946 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2024-44946?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 6.1.107 / 6.6.48 or later

Severity 5.5 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.9%

Affects: Linux Kernel

Remediation

Need this fixed?

Get a fix

Estimated effortfrom ~16 hrs

ComplexityComplex

Typical engagementfrom $2,850

What a fix involves

We scope it with you and confirm a fixed quote
A specialist builds a reviewed fix
You deploy it to staging first
Optional re-test once it’s live

We specialise in CVE remediation. Send your environment and we’ll scope CVE-2024-44946 and return a fixed quote.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Scan for this in your stack

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

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Remediation

References