Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2024-56672

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.1.121 / 6.6.67 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
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 · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: blk-cgroup: Fix UAF in blkcg_unpin_online() blkcg_unpin_online() walks up the blkcg hierarchy putting the online pin. To walk up, it uses blkcg_parent(blkcg) but it was calling that after blkcg_destroy_blkgs(blkcg) which could free the blkcg, leading to the following UAF: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in blkcg_unpin_online+0x15a/0x270 Read of size 8 at addr ffff8881057678c0 by task kworker/9:1/117 CPU: 9 UID: 0 PID: 117 Comm: kworker/9:1 Not tainted 6.13.0-rc1-work-00182-gb8f52214c61a-dirty #48 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS unknown 02/02/2022 Workqueue: cgwb_release cgwb_release_workfn Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x27/0x80 print_report+0x151/0x710 kasan_report+0xc0/0x100 blkcg_unpin_online+0x15a/0x270 cgwb_release_workfn+0x194/0x480 process_scheduled_works+0x71b/0xe20 worker_thread+0x82a/0xbd0 kthread+0x242/0x2c0 ret_from_fork+0x33/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 </TASK> ... Freed by task 1944: kasan_save_track+0x2b/0x70 kasan_save_free_info+0x3c/0x50 __kasan_slab_free+0x33/0x50 kfree+0x10c/0x330 css_free_rwork_fn+0xe6/0xb30 process_scheduled_works+0x71b/0xe20 worker_thread+0x82a/0xbd0 kthread+0x242/0x2c0 ret_from_fork+0x33/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Note that the UAF is not easy to trigger as the free path is indirected behind a couple RCU grace periods and a work item execution. I could only trigger it with artifical msleep() injected in blkcg_unpin_online(). Fix it by reading the parent pointer before destroying the blkcg's blkg's.

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:>= 5.7, < 6.1.121>= 6.2, < 6.6.67>= 6.7, < 6.12.6= 6.13

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
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 6.1.121 / 6.6.67 / 6.12.6 or later
Fixed in 6.1.1216.6.676.12.6
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

6.1.121 (for 6.1.x), 6.6.67 (for 6.2-6.6.x), 6.12.6 (for 6.7-6.12.x), or 6.14+ (for 6.13)

  1. Identify the current running kernel version using 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version'
  2. Check which affected version branch your kernel is from (6.1.x, 6.2-6.6.x, 6.7-6.12.x, or 6.13.x)
  3. For kernels from 6.1 branch: upgrade to version 6.1.121 or later
  4. For kernels from 6.2-6.6 branch: upgrade to version 6.6.67 or later
  5. For kernels from 6.7-6.12 branch: upgrade to version 6.12.6 or later
  6. For kernels at version 6.13: upgrade to the next stable release (6.14 or later) which contains the fix
  7. Use your distribution's package manager to install the new kernel (e.g., apt-get update && apt-get install linux-image-<version>, yum update kernel, or dnf update kernel)
  8. Reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require matching kernel headers and could affect loaded kernel modules; ensure compatibility with userspace tools and consider reviewing distribution-specific upgrade notes

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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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-2024-56672 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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