Linux Kernel up to 6.6.66/6.12.5 use after free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability labeled as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.66/6.12.5. The impacted element is an unknown function. Executing a manipulation can lead to use after free. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2024-56664. There is not any exploit available. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.66/6.12.5 and classified as critical. This vulnerability affects an unknown part. 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. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf, sockmap: Fix race between element replace and close() Element replace (with a socket different from the one stored) may race with socket's close() link popping & unlinking. __sock_map_delete() unconditionally unrefs the (wrong) element: // set map[0] = s0 map_update_elem(map, 0, s0) // drop fd of s0 close(s0) sock_map_close() lock_sock(sk) (s0!) sock_map_remove_links(sk) link = sk_psock_link_pop() sock_map_unlink(sk, link) sock_map_delete_from_link // replace map[0] with s1 map_update_elem(map, 0, s1) sock_map_update_elem (s1!) lock_sock(sk) sock_map_update_common psock = sk_psock(sk) spin_lock(&stab->lock) osk = stab->sks[idx] sock_map_add_link(..., &stab->sks[idx]) sock_map_unref(osk, &stab->sks[idx]) psock = sk_psock(osk) sk_psock_put(sk, psock) if (refcount_dec_and_test(&psock)) sk_psock_drop(sk, psock) spin_unlock(&stab->lock) unlock_sock(sk) __sock_map_delete spin_lock(&stab->lock) sk = *psk // s1 replaced s0; sk == s1 if (!sk_test || sk_test == sk) // sk_test (s0) != sk (s1); no branch sk = xchg(psk, NULL) if (sk) sock_map_unref(sk, psk) // unref s1; sks[idx] will dangle psock = sk_psock(sk) sk_psock_put(sk, psock) if (refcount_dec_and_test()) sk_psock_drop(sk, psock) spin_unlock(&stab->lock) release_sock(sk) Then close(map) enqueues bpf_map_free_deferred, which finally calls sock_map_free(). This results in some refcount_t warnings along with a KASAN splat [1]. Fix __sock_map_delete(), do not allow sock_map_unref() on elements that may have been replaced. [1]: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in sock_map_free+0x10e/0x330 Write of size 4 at addr ffff88811f5b9100 by task kworker/u64:12/1063 CPU: 14 UID: 0 PID: 1063 Comm: kworker/u64:12 Not tainted 6.12.0+ #125 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS Arch Linux 1.16.3-1-1 04/01/2014 Workqueue: events_unbound bpf_map_free_deferred Call Trace: dump_stack_lvl+0x68/0x90 print_report+0x174/0x4f6 kasan_report+0xb9/0x190 kasan_check_range+0x10f/0x1e0 sock_map_free+0x10e/0x330 bpf_map_free_deferred+0x173/0x320 process_one_work+0x846/0x1420 worker_thread+0x5b3/0xf80 kthread+0x29e/0x360 ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Allocated by task 1202: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 __kasan_slab_alloc+0x85/0x90 kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x131/0x450 sk_prot_alloc+0x5b/0x220 sk_alloc+0x2c/0x870 unix_create1+0x88/0x8a0 unix_create+0xc5/0x180 __sock_create+0x241/0x650 __sys_socketpair+0x1ce/0x420 __x64_sys_socketpair+0x92/0x100 do_syscall_64+0x93/0x180 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e Freed by task 46: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x37/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x4b/0x70 kmem_cache_free+0x1a1/0x590 __sk_destruct+0x388/0x5a0 sk_psock_destroy+0x73e/0xa50 process_one_work+0x846/0x1420 worker_thread+0x5b3/0xf80 kthread+0x29e/0x360 ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 The bu ---truncated---

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2024-56664 since 12/27/2024. The exploitation appears to be difficult. There are neither technical details nor an exploit publicly available. The current price for an exploit might be approx. USD $0-$5k (estimation calculated on 01/12/2026).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 214781 (SUSE SLES12 Security Update : kernel (SUSE-SU-2025:0236-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.6.67 or 6.12.6 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch b015f19fedd2e12283a8450dd0aefce49ec57015/bf2318e288f636a882eea39f7e1015623629f168/ed1fc5d76b81a4d681211333c026202cad4d5649 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 (214781), EUVD (EUVD-2024-53312) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2024-3762). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Avamar
• Red Hat OpenShift
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• Dell PowerProtect Data Domain
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• IBM DataPower Gateway
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 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
• 6.6.44
• 6.6.45
• 6.6.46
• 6.6.47
• 6.6.48
• 6.6.49
• 6.6.50
• 6.6.51
• 6.6.52
• 6.6.53
• 6.6.54
• 6.6.55
• 6.6.56
• 6.6.57
• 6.6.58
• 6.6.59
• 6.6.60
• 6.6.61
• 6.6.62
• 6.6.63
• 6.6.64
• 6.6.65
• 6.6.66
• 6.12.0
• 6.12.1
• 6.12.2
• 6.12.3
• 6.12.4
• 6.12.5

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

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Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

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Entryinfo

Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

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