CVE-2024-53117 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 12/02/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
virtio/vsock: Improve MSG_ZEROCOPY error handling
Add a missing kfree_skb() to prevent memory leaks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/17/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-53117 resides within the Linux kernel's virtio virtual socket implementation, specifically addressing memory management issues in the socket communication layer. This flaw manifests in the handling of zero-copy messaging operations, where the kernel fails to properly release allocated memory resources under certain error conditions. The affected component operates within the virtualization framework, enabling communication between guest and host operating systems through virtualized socket interfaces. The vulnerability impacts systems utilizing virtio virtual sockets for high-performance inter-vm or host-guest communication, particularly those implementing MSG_ZEROCOPY flag operations.
The technical root cause stems from a missing kfree_skb() function call within the error handling path of the virtio vsock subsystem. When processing socket messages with zero-copy semantics, the kernel allocates socket buffer structures to facilitate efficient data transfer without additional memory copying. However, during error conditions such as failed message transmission or resource exhaustion, the code path fails to invoke the proper memory cleanup routine that would release the allocated socket buffers back to the system. This oversight creates a memory leak scenario where socket buffer structures remain allocated indefinitely, consuming kernel memory resources that cannot be reclaimed by the system's memory management subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple resource consumption, potentially leading to system instability and performance degradation over time. As memory leaks accumulate through repeated error conditions in virtio vsock operations, the kernel's available memory pool gradually diminishes, affecting overall system performance and potentially causing memory allocation failures in other kernel components. Systems running intensive virtualization workloads or those heavily utilizing virtio socket communication for inter-vm networking are particularly susceptible to experiencing degraded performance or unexpected system behavior. The vulnerability can be exploited through normal socket operations that trigger error conditions in the zero-copy messaging path, making it a latent issue that may not manifest immediately but accumulates over time.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-53117 involve applying the patched kernel version that includes the corrected error handling routine with the proper kfree_skb() invocation. System administrators should prioritize updating their kernel installations to versions containing this fix, particularly in virtualized environments where virtio vsock is actively utilized. The fix aligns with common security practices for memory management in kernel space, following the principle of proper resource cleanup in error conditions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability relates to privilege escalation and resource exhaustion techniques, though it primarily affects system stability rather than providing direct access to system resources. The CWE mapping for this issue would be CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper release of memory after use, making it a classic example of a memory leak vulnerability in kernel space. Organizations should monitor their virtualization environments for any signs of memory exhaustion or performance degradation that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability, and implement regular kernel update procedures to maintain system security posture.