CVE-2024-46681

Local denial of service via pktgen CPU race

Published Sep 13, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

A race in Linux pktgen 2.6.12 through 6.10.7 and 6.11-rc1 through 6.11-rc5 allows local users to cause denial of service during CPU hotplug. pg_net_init iterates online CPUs without holding cpus_read_lock, so a concurrent CPU-set change can dispatch a worker on a different CPU and trigger a warning in pktgen_thread_worker. Reachability requires pktgen initialization during a CPU-online-set change; the documented consequence is a kernel warning and possible syslog flood.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A race in Linux pktgen 2.6.12 through 6.10.7 and 6.11-rc1 through 6.11-rc5 allows local users to cause denial of service during CPU hotplug. pg_net_init iterates online CPUs without holding cpus_read_lock, so a concurrent CPU-set change can dispatch a worker on a different CPU and trigger a warning in pktgen_thread_worker. Reachability requires pktgen initialization during a CPU-online-set change; the documented consequence is a kernel warning and possible syslog flood.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-46681
Published
Sep 13, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 13, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5f5f7366dda8ae870e8305d6e7b3c0c2686cd2cf
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <979b581e4c69257acab1af415ddad6b2d78a2fa5
  3. Affected versionversion=2.6.12

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5f5f7366dda8ae870e8305d6e7b3c0c2686cd2cf; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <979b581e4c69257acab1af415ddad6b2d78a2fa5; version=2.6.12

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

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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

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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