Kernel panic via signed workqueue mask subtraction
Published Sep 4, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Integer overflow in Linux kernel 6.10 through 6.10.6 allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during boot-time workqueue setup. The kernel/workqueue.c shift_and_mask() helper constructs a 31-bit mask from signed 1, so subtracting one after the shift decrements from INT_MIN. Reachability requires local execution of the affected kernel and the boot-time workqueue path; the demonstrated consequence is a fatal exception and host crash.
Summary
What happened
Integer overflow in Linux kernel 6.10 through 6.10.6 allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during boot-time workqueue setup. The kernel/workqueue.c shift_and_mask() helper constructs a 31-bit mask from signed 1, so subtracting one after the shift decrements from INT_MIN. Reachability requires local execution of the affected kernel and the boot-time workqueue path; the demonstrated consequence is a fatal exception and host crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-44981
- Published
- Sep 4, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-190, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 4, 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
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=1211f3b21c2aa0d22d8d7f050e3a5930a91cd0e4 <38f7e14519d39cf524ddc02d4caee9b337dad703
- Affected versionversion=1211f3b21c2aa0d22d8d7f050e3a5930a91cd0e4 <90a6a844b2d9927d192758438a4ada33d8cd9de5
- Affected versionversion=6.10
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo