CVE-2024-26985 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 05/01/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
drm/xe: Fix bo leak in intel_fb_bo_framebuffer_init
Add a unreference bo in the error path, to prevent leaking a bo ref.
Return 0 on success to clarify the success path.
(cherry picked from commit a2f3d731be3893e730417ae3190760fcaffdf549)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2026
The vulnerability CVE-2024-26985 addresses a memory management issue within the Linux kernel's graphics subsystem, specifically affecting the intel graphics driver implementation. This flaw exists in the drm/xe component responsible for managing graphics framebuffers and buffer objects. The vulnerability represents a classic resource leak scenario where allocated memory structures are not properly released when error conditions occur during framebuffer initialization. Such memory leaks can accumulate over time and potentially lead to system instability or resource exhaustion, particularly in environments with continuous graphics operations or high-frequency framebuffer creation and destruction cycles.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of buffer object references within the intel_fb_bo_framebuffer_init function. When error conditions are encountered during the framebuffer initialization process, the code path fails to properly unreference the buffer object that was allocated but not successfully initialized. This creates a dangling reference to the buffer object, preventing the kernel's memory management subsystem from properly reclaiming the associated memory resources. The issue manifests as a reference count leak where the buffer object's reference counter remains incremented even though the object is no longer needed or accessible through normal code paths. This type of resource management error falls under the CWE-404 category of Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, specifically involving improper resource handling during error conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory consumption concerns to potentially affect system reliability and performance. In high-throughput graphics environments such as server-based rendering, virtualization platforms, or embedded systems with continuous display operations, repeated occurrences of this leak can gradually consume available memory resources. This may lead to system slowdowns, application crashes, or in extreme cases, complete system instability. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in containerized environments or cloud computing scenarios where resource constraints are tightly managed and memory leaks can cascade into broader system performance degradation. The fix implemented addresses the issue by ensuring proper reference counting through the addition of an unreference operation in error paths, which aligns with the ATT&CK framework's mitigation strategies for resource exhaustion attacks.
The resolution for CVE-2024-26985 involves implementing proper error handling semantics within the graphics driver's framebuffer initialization code. The fix ensures that buffer objects are properly dereferenced when errors occur during initialization, preventing the accumulation of unreleased references. Additionally, the change standardizes the return value to explicitly return zero on successful completion, which improves code clarity and reduces ambiguity in success path handling. This modification follows established kernel development practices for resource management and error handling, ensuring that all allocated resources are properly accounted for regardless of execution path. The fix has been cherry-picked from a specific commit, indicating that it represents a targeted correction that maintains backward compatibility while resolving the resource leak without introducing breaking changes to existing functionality. The implementation demonstrates adherence to kernel security best practices by ensuring proper reference counting and memory management throughout all code execution paths, including error conditions.