CVE-2024-44973

Kernel crash via missing KFENCE bulk-free check

Published Sep 4, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Memory-management flaw in Linux 6.8 through 6.10.4 and 6.11-rc1 through 6.11-rc2 allows local users to crash the kernel via KFENCE freeing. The __kmem_cache_free_bulk function passes a KFENCE-managed object to do_slab_free without first routing it through kfence_free, corrupting slab padding. Triggering the crash requires KFENCE to be enabled and an out-of-memory condition during kmem_cache_alloc_bulk; the consequence is a service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.44%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory-management flaw in Linux 6.8 through 6.10.4 and 6.11-rc1 through 6.11-rc2 allows local users to crash the kernel via KFENCE freeing. The __kmem_cache_free_bulk function passes a KFENCE-managed object to do_slab_free without first routing it through kfence_free, corrupting slab padding. Triggering the crash requires KFENCE to be enabled and an out-of-memory condition during kmem_cache_alloc_bulk; the consequence is a service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-44973
Published
Sep 4, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 4, 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=6.8
  2. Affected versionversion=782f8906f8057efc7151b4b98b0a0280a71d005f <a371d558e6f3aed977a8a7346350557de5d25190
  3. Affected versionversion=782f8906f8057efc7151b4b98b0a0280a71d005f <b35cd7f1e969aaa63e6716d82480f6b8a3230949

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.8; version=782f8906f8057efc7151b4b98b0a0280a71d005f <a371d558e6f3aed977a8a7346350557de5d25190; version=782f8906f8057efc7151b4b98b0a0280a71d005f <b35cd7f1e969aaa63e6716d82480f6b8a3230949

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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

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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