Kernel panic via hugetlb buddy-state race
Published Jun 25, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
A race in Linux kernel memory-failure handling allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during hugetlb page recovery. In __page_handle_poison, drain_all_pages can race with compaction after dissolve_free_hugetlb_folio, so take_page_off_buddy fails while a dissolved page is temporarily isolated and later returns with invalid buddy metadata. Local low-privileged access and the race window are required; the demonstrated consequence is a host crash, without reported data disclosure or modification.
Summary
What happened
A race in Linux kernel memory-failure handling allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during hugetlb page recovery. In __page_handle_poison, drain_all_pages can race with compaction after dissolve_free_hugetlb_folio, so take_page_off_buddy fails while a dissolved page is temporarily isolated and later returns with invalid buddy metadata. Local low-privileged access and the race window are required; the demonstrated consequence is a host crash, without reported data disclosure or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-39298
- Published
- Jun 25, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 25, 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=6.0
- Affected versionversion=ceaf8fbea79a854373b9fc03c9fde98eb8712725 <00b0752c7f15dfdf129cacc6a27d61c54141182b
- Affected versionversion=ceaf8fbea79a854373b9fc03c9fde98eb8712725 <41cd2de3c95020b7f86a3cb5fab42fbf454a63bd
- Affected versionversion=ceaf8fbea79a854373b9fc03c9fde98eb8712725 <8cf360b9d6a840700e06864236a01a883b34bbad
- Affected versionversion=ceaf8fbea79a854373b9fc03c9fde98eb8712725 <bb9bb13ce64cc7cae47f5e2ab9ce93b7bfa0117e
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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