Linux Kernel up to 6.1.102/6.6.43/6.10.2 cpuset proc_cpuset_show use after free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.102/6.6.43/6.10.2 and classified as critical. This impacts the function proc_cpuset_show of the component cpuset. This manipulation causes use after free. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2024-43853. There is not any exploit available. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.102/6.6.43/6.10.2. It has been declared as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function proc_cpuset_show of the component cpuset. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cgroup/cpuset: Prevent UAF in proc_cpuset_show() An UAF can happen when /proc/cpuset is read as reported in [1]. This can be reproduced by the following methods: 1.add an mdelay(1000) before acquiring the cgroup_lock In the cgroup_path_ns function. 2.$cat /proc//cpuset repeatly. 3.$mount -t cgroup -o cpuset cpuset /sys/fs/cgroup/cpuset/ $umount /sys/fs/cgroup/cpuset/ repeatly. The race that cause this bug can be shown as below: (umount) | (cat /proc//cpuset) css_release | proc_cpuset_show css_release_work_fn | css = task_get_css(tsk, cpuset_cgrp_id); css_free_rwork_fn | cgroup_path_ns(css->cgroup, ...); cgroup_destroy_root | mutex_lock(&cgroup_mutex); rebind_subsystems | cgroup_free_root | | // cgrp was freed, UAF | cgroup_path_ns_locked(cgrp,..); When the cpuset is initialized, the root node top_cpuset.css.cgrp will point to &cgrp_dfl_root.cgrp. In cgroup v1, the mount operation will allocate cgroup_root, and top_cpuset.css.cgrp will point to the allocated &cgroup_root.cgrp. When the umount operation is executed, top_cpuset.css.cgrp will be rebound to &cgrp_dfl_root.cgrp. The problem is that when rebinding to cgrp_dfl_root, there are cases where the cgroup_root allocated by setting up the root for cgroup v1 is cached. This could lead to a Use-After-Free (UAF) if it is subsequently freed. The descendant cgroups of cgroup v1 can only be freed after the css is released. However, the css of the root will never be released, yet the cgroup_root should be freed when it is unmounted. This means that obtaining a reference to the css of the root does not guarantee that css.cgrp->root will not be freed. Fix this problem by using rcu_read_lock in proc_cpuset_show(). As cgroup_root is kfree_rcu after commit d23b5c577715 ("cgroup: Make operations on the cgroup root_list RCU safe"), css->cgroup won't be freed during the critical section. To call cgroup_path_ns_locked, css_set_lock is needed, so it is safe to replace task_get_css with task_css. [1] https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=9b1ff7be974a403aa4cd

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2024-43853 since 08/17/2024. The exploitation appears to be difficult. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 01/16/2026).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 208245 (Debian dla-3912 : ata-modules-5.10.0-29-armmp-di - security update), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.1.103, 6.6.44 or 6.10.3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 29a8d4e02fd4/96226fbed566/29ac1d238b3b/1be59c97c83c is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (208245) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2855). Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Affected

• IBM DataPower Gateway
• Dell PowerScale OneFS

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.1.102
• 6.6.0
• 6.6.1
• 6.6.2
• 6.6.3
• 6.6.4
• 6.6.5
• 6.6.6
• 6.6.7
• 6.6.8
• 6.6.9
• 6.6.10
• 6.6.11
• 6.6.12
• 6.6.13
• 6.6.14
• 6.6.15
• 6.6.16
• 6.6.17
• 6.6.18
• 6.6.19
• 6.6.20
• 6.6.21
• 6.6.22
• 6.6.23
• 6.6.24
• 6.6.25
• 6.6.26
• 6.6.27
• 6.6.28
• 6.6.29
• 6.6.30
• 6.6.31
• 6.6.32
• 6.6.33
• 6.6.34
• 6.6.35
• 6.6.36
• 6.6.37
• 6.6.38
• 6.6.39
• 6.6.40
• 6.6.41
• 6.6.42
• 6.6.43
• 6.10.0
• 6.10.1
• 6.10.2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

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