Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2024-50020
A fix is available.
Upgrade to 6.8 / 6.11.4 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 · uneditedIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ice: Fix improper handling of refcount in ice_sriov_set_msix_vec_count() This patch addresses an issue with improper reference count handling in the ice_sriov_set_msix_vec_count() function. First, the function calls ice_get_vf_by_id(), which increments the reference count of the vf pointer. If the subsequent call to ice_get_vf_vsi() fails, the function currently returns an error without decrementing the reference count of the vf pointer, leading to a reference count leak. The correct behavior, as implemented in this patch, is to decrement the reference count using ice_put_vf(vf) before returning an error when vsi is NULL. Second, the function calls ice_sriov_get_irqs(), which sets vf->first_vector_idx. If this call returns a negative value, indicating an error, the function returns an error without decrementing the reference count of the vf pointer, resulting in another reference count leak. The patch addresses this by adding a call to ice_put_vf(vf) before returning an error when vf->first_vector_idx < 0. This bug was identified by an experimental static analysis tool developed by our team. The tool specializes in analyzing reference count operations and identifying potential mismanagement of reference counts. In this case, the tool flagged the missing decrement operation as a potential issue, leading to this patch.
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 analysisA detailed technical summary for this CVE is being prepared.
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:
>= 6.7.10, < 6.8>= 6.8, < 6.11.4= 6.12CVSS 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
- 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 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 6.8 / 6.11.4 or later
Fixed in
6.86.11.4
Vendor patch
git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix
High confidence
Linux kernel >= 6.11.4 or >= 6.12.1 (depending on which stable branch is used)
- Identify the current Linux kernel version using 'uname -r'
- Determine which distribution you are using (e.g., RHEL, Ubuntu, Debian, SUSE)
- Check if your distribution has released a kernel security update that includes the fix for CVE-2024-50020
- For RHEL/CentOS: Run 'yum update kernel' or 'dnf update kernel' to apply the latest kernel package
- For Ubuntu/Debian: Run 'apt-get update && apt-get upgrade' or 'apt-get dist-upgrade'
- For SUSE: Run 'zypper patch' or 'zypper update kernel'
- After updating, reboot the system to load the new kernel: 'systemctl reboot'
- Verify the kernel has been updated to a version >= 6.11.4 (or >= 6.12.1) using 'uname -r'
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with custom kernel modules or specific hardware drivers; ensure backups and testing are performed before production deployment
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 $1,600.
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Free · runs locally
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Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-50020 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-50020 in production — separate from our analysis above.
Know something about CVE-2024-50020?
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
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What belongs here
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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