Kernel compromise via winch IRQ registration race
Published Jun 24, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the User-Mode Linux component of Linux allows local users to crash or compromise its kernel through a console open. register_winch_irq() registers the IRQ before linking the allocated winch into winch_handlers, so an early interrupt leaves a freed object on the global list. Local users with permission to open a UML console or serial device can repeatedly race the path, causing a later panic or memory-control primitives during winch_cleanup().
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the User-Mode Linux component of Linux allows local users to crash or compromise its kernel through a console open. register_winch_irq() registers the IRQ before linking the allocated winch into winch_handlers, so an early interrupt leaves a freed object on the global list. Local users with permission to open a UML console or serial device can repeatedly race the path, causing a later panic or memory-control primitives during winch_cleanup().
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-39292
- Published
- Jun 24, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 24, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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- Affected versionversion=2.6.23
- Affected versionversion=42a359e31a0e438b5b978a8f0fecdbd3c86bb033 <0c02d425a2fbe52643a5859a779db0329e7dddd4
- Affected versionversion=42a359e31a0e438b5b978a8f0fecdbd3c86bb033 <31960d991e43c8d6dc07245f19fc13398e90ead2
- Affected versionversion=42a359e31a0e438b5b978a8f0fecdbd3c86bb033 <351d1a64544944b44732f6a64ed65573b00b9e14
- Affected versionversion=42a359e31a0e438b5b978a8f0fecdbd3c86bb033 <434a06c38ee1217a8baa0dd7c37cc85d50138fb0
- Affected versionversion=42a359e31a0e438b5b978a8f0fecdbd3c86bb033 <66ea9a7c6824821476914bed21a476cd20094f33
- Affected versionversion=42a359e31a0e438b5b978a8f0fecdbd3c86bb033 <73b8e21f76c7dda4905655d2e2c17dc5a73b87f1
- Affected versionversion=42a359e31a0e438b5b978a8f0fecdbd3c86bb033 <a0fbbd36c156b9f7b2276871d499c9943dfe5101
- Affected versionversion=42a359e31a0e438b5b978a8f0fecdbd3c86bb033 <dc1ff95602ee908fcd7d8acee7a0dadb61b1a0c0
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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