Kernel memory corruption via unlocked CQ refcount race
Published Jun 19, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux HNS RoCE CQ handling allows local users to corrupt kernel memory by racing asynchronous events with destruction. The CQ event path increments an unprotected completion-queue reference while concurrent destruction can erase and release the same object. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access to an HNS RoCE uverbs device and can cause kernel-memory compromise or a kernel panic.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux HNS RoCE CQ handling allows local users to corrupt kernel memory by racing asynchronous events with destruction. The CQ event path increments an unprotected completion-queue reference while concurrent destruction can erase and release the same object. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access to an HNS RoCE uverbs device and can cause kernel-memory compromise or a kernel panic.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-38545
- Published
- Jun 19, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 19, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=4.9
- Affected versionversion=9a4435375cd151e07c0c38fa601b00115986091b <330c825e66ef65278e4ebe57fd49c1d6f3f4e34e
- Affected versionversion=9a4435375cd151e07c0c38fa601b00115986091b <37a7559dc1358a8d300437e99ed8ecdab0671507
- Affected versionversion=9a4435375cd151e07c0c38fa601b00115986091b <39d26cf46306bdc7ae809ecfdbfeff5aa1098911
- Affected versionversion=9a4435375cd151e07c0c38fa601b00115986091b <63da190eeb5c9d849b71f457b15b308c94cbaf08
- Affected versionversion=9a4435375cd151e07c0c38fa601b00115986091b <763780ef0336a973e933e40e919339381732dcaf
- Affected versionversion=9a4435375cd151e07c0c38fa601b00115986091b <a942ec2745ca864cd8512142100e4027dc306a42
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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