CVE-2024-36890

Local kernel crash via invalid error-pointer cleanup

Published May 30, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Invalid pointer release in Linux kernel 6.1.79 through 6.1.90 and selected later branches allows local users to crash the kernel. The __free(kfree) cleanup macro in include/linux/slab.h tests only for null before passing ERR_PTR values to kfree instead of rejecting error pointers. Reaching an allocation failure in a cleanup-annotated path, such as wm831x_gpio_dbg_show, triggers an invalid free and kernel crash; no data disclosure or modification is reported.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Invalid pointer release in Linux kernel 6.1.79 through 6.1.90 and selected later branches allows local users to crash the kernel. The __free(kfree) cleanup macro in include/linux/slab.h tests only for null before passing ERR_PTR values to kfree instead of rejecting error pointers. Reaching an allocation failure in a cleanup-annotated path, such as wm831x_gpio_dbg_show, triggers an invalid free and kernel crash; no data disclosure or modification is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-36890
Published
May 30, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-763, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 30, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=3c6cc62ce1265aa5623e2e1b29c0fe258bf6e232 <9f6eb0ab4f95240589ee85fd9886a944cd3645b2
  2. Affected versionversion=54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 <79cbe0be6c0317b215ddd8bd3e32f0afdac48543
  3. Affected versionversion=54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 <ac6cf3ce9b7d12acb7b528248df5f87caa25fcdc
  4. Affected versionversion=54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 <cd7eb8f83fcf258f71e293f7fc52a70be8ed0128
  5. Affected versionversion=6.1.79 <6.1.91
  6. Affected versionversion=6.5
  7. Affected versionversion=af53aaf20722d745a69a051114a1ae237f5b922e <edca32f87329d6e341d2143a3b58ec254e8f6b88
  8. Affected versionversion=f550466949e822afcd0b546a4fc35795930660bc <946771c2a2b1150f9b7286feadc3aa1e15a1eb16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3c6cc62ce1265aa5623e2e1b29c0fe258bf6e232 <9f6eb0ab4f95240589ee85fd9886a944cd3645b2; version=54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 <79cbe0be6c0317b215ddd8bd3e32f0afdac48543; version=54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 <ac6cf3ce9b7d12acb7b528248df5f87caa25fcdc; version=54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 <cd7eb8f83fcf258f71e293f7fc52a70be8ed0128; version=6.1.79 <6.1.91; version=6.5; version=af53aaf20722d745a69a051114a1ae237f5b922e <edca32f87329d6e341d2143a3b58ec254e8f6b88; version=f550466949e822afcd0b546a4fc35795930660bc <946771c2a2b1150f9b7286feadc3aa1e15a1eb16

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-763Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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