CVE-2024-50254

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Free dynamically allocated bits in bpf_iter_bits_destroy() bpf_iter_bits_destroy() uses "kit->nr_bits <= 64" to check whether the bits are dynamically allocated. However, the check is incorrect and may cause a kmemleak as shown below: unreferenced object 0xffff88812628c8c0 (size 32): comm "swapper/0", pid 1, jiffies 4294727320 hex dump (first 32 bytes): b0 c1 55 f5 81 88 ff ff f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 ..U........... f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 f0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .............. backtrace (crc 781e32cc): [<00000000c452b4ab>] kmemleak_alloc+0x4b/0x80 [<0000000004e09f80>] __kmalloc_node_noprof+0x480/0x5c0 [<00000000597124d6>] __alloc.isra.0+0x89/0xb0 [<000000004ebfffcd>] alloc_bulk+0x2af/0x720 [<00000000d9c10145>] prefill_mem_cache+0x7f/0xb0 [<00000000ff9738ff>] bpf_mem_alloc_init+0x3e2/0x610 [<000000008b616eac>] bpf_global_ma_init+0x19/0x30 [<00000000fc473efc>] do_one_initcall+0xd3/0x3c0 [<00000000ec81498c>] kernel_init_freeable+0x66a/0x940 [<00000000b119f72f>] kernel_init+0x20/0x160 [<00000000f11ac9a7>] ret_from_fork+0x3c/0x70 [<0000000004671da4>] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 That is because nr_bits will be set as zero in bpf_iter_bits_next() after all bits have been iterated. Fix the issue by setting kit->bit to kit->nr_bits instead of setting kit->nr_bits to zero when the iteration completes in bpf_iter_bits_next(). In addition, use "!nr_bits || bits >= nr_bits" to check whether the iteration is complete and still use "nr_bits > 64" to indicate whether bits are dynamically allocated. The "!nr_bits" check is necessary because bpf_iter_bits_new() may fail before setting kit->nr_bits, and this condition will stop the iteration early instead of accessing the zeroed or freed kit->bits. Considering the initial value of kit->bits is -1 and the type of kit->nr_bits is unsigned int, change the type of kit->nr_bits to int. The potential overflow problem will be handled in the following patch.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2024-11-09
Last modified 2025-10-01
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-401

CVE-2024-50254 is a Memory Leak vulnerability

What is Memory Leak?

The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.11 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.11.7, 6.12 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.11
Fixed in
✓ 6.11.7 6.11.x ✓ 6.12

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2024-50254 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2024-50254?

    CVE-2024-50254 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a Memory Leak flaw (CWE-401) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.11 onward and has been patched in 6.11.7 and 6.12. CVE-2024-50254 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2024-50254?

    CVE-2024-50254 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2024-50254?

    Yes — CVE-2024-50254 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.11.7 and 6.12. If you are running Linux kernel 6.11 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2024-50254 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2024-50254 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Memory Leak (CWE-401)?

    The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. View CWE-401 on MITRE CWE →