CVE-2024-50274 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 11/19/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
idpf: avoid vport access in idpf_get_link_ksettings
When the device control plane is removed or the platform running device control plane is rebooted, a reset is detected on the driver. On driver reset, it releases the resources and waits for the reset to complete. If the reset fails, it takes the error path and releases the vport lock. At this time if the monitoring tools tries to access link settings, it call traces for accessing released vport pointer.
To avoid it, move link_speed_mbps to netdev_priv structure which removes the dependency on vport pointer and the vport lock in idpf_get_link_ksettings. Also use netif_carrier_ok() to check the link status and adjust the offsetof to use link_up instead of link_speed_mbps.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-50274 resides within the Linux kernel's implementation of the Intel Data Plane Framework driver, specifically affecting the idpf_get_link_ksettings function. This issue manifests when the device control plane undergoes removal or platform reboot operations, triggering a driver reset mechanism that releases allocated resources and awaits reset completion. The problematic scenario occurs during error handling when the driver releases the vport lock, creating a race condition where monitoring tools attempting to access link settings result in kernel crash traces due to access of previously released vport pointers. The root cause stems from the function's dependency on vport-specific data structures that become invalid during the reset process, creating a potential denial-of-service condition that could be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt network operations.
This vulnerability represents a classic improper handling of resource cleanup and concurrent access patterns that aligns with CWE-415, which addresses double free errors and improper resource management. The flaw specifically demonstrates issues related to use-after-free conditions where kernel code attempts to reference memory that has already been released. The implementation suffers from a lack of proper synchronization mechanisms during the reset sequence, particularly in the context of the driver's control plane lifecycle management. The issue impacts the integrity of kernel memory management and could potentially enable privilege escalation or system instability if exploited through carefully crafted network monitoring operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial-of-service scenarios, as it affects the reliability of network monitoring and management tools that depend on consistent link status information. Network administrators and security operations teams utilizing the Intel Data Plane Framework may experience unexpected system crashes or kernel oops when monitoring link settings during device reset operations. The vulnerability particularly affects systems running the Linux kernel with Intel 100G Ethernet drivers where the idpf driver is active, creating potential cascading failures in network infrastructure where monitoring tools continuously poll link status information. The race condition between driver reset operations and external monitoring access creates an unpredictable operational environment that could compromise network availability.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2024-50274 involves rearchitecting the link settings access mechanism by moving the link_speed_mbps data to the netdev_priv structure, thereby eliminating the dependency on vport pointers and associated locks. This approach follows established kernel development practices for avoiding race conditions and memory management issues by ensuring that critical data structures remain accessible throughout the driver's operational lifecycle. The implementation also incorporates netif_carrier_ok() for proper link status checking and adjusts the memory offset calculations to reference link_up instead of link_speed_mbps, which provides a more stable and reliable method for determining network connectivity status. This solution addresses the underlying architectural issue by decoupling the link settings access from the volatile vport context and implementing proper synchronization patterns that align with kernel security best practices and ATT&CK framework considerations for maintaining system stability and preventing privilege escalation through kernel memory corruption.