CVE-2024-42285 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 08/17/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
RDMA/iwcm: Fix a use-after-free related to destroying CM IDs
iw_conn_req_handler() associates a new struct rdma_id_private (conn_id) with an existing struct iw_cm_id (cm_id) as follows:
conn_id->cm_id.iw = cm_id; cm_id->context = conn_id; cm_id->cm_handler = cma_iw_handler;
rdma_destroy_id() frees both the cm_id and the struct rdma_id_private. Make sure that cm_work_handler() does not trigger a use-after-free by only freeing of the struct rdma_id_private after all pending work has finished.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-42285 represents a critical use-after-free condition within the Linux kernel's RDMA/iwcm subsystem, specifically affecting the InfiniBand Wireless Communication Manager implementation. This flaw occurs during the destruction of connection management identifiers, creating a potential exploitation vector for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability. The issue manifests in the interaction between the iw_conn_req_handler function and the rdma_destroy_id function, where improper resource management leads to memory corruption that can be leveraged for privilege escalation or denial of service attacks.
The technical root cause stems from the improper sequencing of resource deallocation within the RDMA communication framework. When iw_conn_req_handler establishes a relationship between a new struct rdma_id_private (conn_id) and an existing struct iw_cm_id (cm_id), it creates a dependency chain where cm_id->context points to conn_id and cm_id->cm_handler references cma_iw_handler. The vulnerability arises because rdma_destroy_id performs immediate freeing of both structures without ensuring that all pending work items have completed execution. This race condition allows the cm_work_handler function to reference freed memory, resulting in a use-after-free scenario that can be exploited to corrupt kernel memory and potentially gain unauthorized access to system resources.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-416, which categorizes use-after-free conditions as a fundamental memory safety issue, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" through kernel-level vulnerabilities. The operational impact of CVE-2024-42285 extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Systems utilizing RDMA networking capabilities, particularly those running Linux kernels with InfiniBand support, are at risk, including data centers, high-performance computing clusters, and enterprise networking infrastructure where RDMA acceleration is deployed.
The mitigation strategy involves applying the kernel patch that ensures proper synchronization between resource destruction and pending work completion. This requires implementing a reference counting mechanism or work queue synchronization that prevents the rdma_id_private structure from being freed until all associated work items have finished execution. Organizations should prioritize kernel updates and consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious kernel memory access patterns. The fix demonstrates the importance of proper resource management in kernel space, where timing-sensitive operations must account for all potential execution paths that could reference freed memory, aligning with best practices outlined in the Linux kernel security guidelines and secure coding standards for kernel development.