Kernel memory exhaustion via leaked RDMA device
Published May 20, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Memory leak in the bnxt_en driver in the Linux kernel allows local users to exhaust memory through Broadcom NetXtreme RDMA setup. bnxt_rdma_aux_device_init() allocates edev but delays storing it in the auxiliary private structure until after a later kzalloc() succeeds, so cleanup cannot release edev when that allocation fails. Reachability requires local access, the bnxt_en RDMA auxiliary-device path, and a kzalloc() failure; the unreleased kernel allocation can interrupt service.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in the bnxt_en driver in the Linux kernel allows local users to exhaust memory through Broadcom NetXtreme RDMA setup. bnxt_rdma_aux_device_init() allocates edev but delays storing it in the auxiliary private structure until after a later kzalloc() succeeds, so cleanup cannot release edev when that allocation fails. Reachability requires local access, the bnxt_en RDMA auxiliary-device path, and a kzalloc() failure; the unreleased kernel allocation can interrupt service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-35972
- Published
- May 20, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-401, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 20, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=30343221132430c24b468493c861f71e2bad131f <10a9d6a7513f93d7faffcb341af0aa42be8218fe
- Affected versionversion=30343221132430c24b468493c861f71e2bad131f <7ac10c7d728d75bc9daaa8fade3c7a3273b9a9ff
- Affected versionversion=30343221132430c24b468493c861f71e2bad131f <c60ed825530b8c0cc2b524efd39b1d696ec54004
- Affected versionversion=6.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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