Kernel memory corruption via IPv6 use-after-free
Published Sep 4, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel IPv6 output path allows remote attackers to read or write kernel memory or crash the host. When skb_expand_head() returns NULL, it frees the socket buffer, but ip6_finish_output2() continues using the associated dst and idev without an RCU read lock. Exploitation requires an atomic allocation failure, concurrent interface teardown, and a timely RCU grace period.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel IPv6 output path allows remote attackers to read or write kernel memory or crash the host. When skb_expand_head() returns NULL, it frees the socket buffer, but ip6_finish_output2() continues using the associated dst and idev without an RCU read lock. Exploitation requires an atomic allocation failure, concurrent interface teardown, and a timely RCU grace period.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-44986
- Published
- Sep 4, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 4, 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=2323690eb05865a657709f4d28eb9538ea97bfc2
- Affected versionversion=5.10.55 <5.11
- Affected versionversion=5.13.7 <5.14
- Affected versionversion=5.14
- Affected versionversion=5.4.137 <5.5
- Affected versionversion=5796015fa968a3349027a27dcd04c71d95c53ba5 <3574d28caf9a09756ae87ad1ea096c6f47b6101e
- Affected versionversion=5796015fa968a3349027a27dcd04c71d95c53ba5 <56efc253196751ece1fc535a5b582be127b0578a
- Affected versionversion=5796015fa968a3349027a27dcd04c71d95c53ba5 <6ab6bf731354a6fdbaa617d1ec194960db61cf3b
- Affected versionversion=5796015fa968a3349027a27dcd04c71d95c53ba5 <da273b377ae0d9bd255281ed3c2adb228321687b
- Affected versionversion=5796015fa968a3349027a27dcd04c71d95c53ba5 <e891b36de161fcd96f12ff83667473e5067b9037
- Affected versionversion=b34c668a867ffdcf8bd8db4a36512572e82b4a15
- Affected versionversion=ded37d03440d0ab346a8287cc2ba88b8dc90ceb0
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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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