CVE-2024-49861

Local privilege escalation via frozen-map helper writes

Published Oct 21, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

An eBPF verifier bypass in the Linux kernel allows local users to escalate privileges by loading a crafted eBPF program through bpf(). The verifier treats output pointers passed to affected helpers as reads, allowing helper writes into frozen maps that it assumes are immutable. An ordinary local account suffices when unprivileged BPF is enabled; exploitation can read or write kernel memory or crash the host.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

An eBPF verifier bypass in the Linux kernel allows local users to escalate privileges by loading a crafted eBPF program through bpf(). The verifier treats output pointers passed to affected helpers as reads, allowing helper writes into frozen maps that it assumes are immutable. An ordinary local account suffices when unprivileged BPF is enabled; exploitation can read or write kernel memory or crash the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-49861
Published
Oct 21, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 21, 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

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.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.2
  2. Affected versionversion=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <1e75d25133158b525e0456876e9bcfd6b2993fd5
  3. Affected versionversion=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <2ed98ee02d1e08afee88f54baec39ea78dc8a23c
  4. Affected versionversion=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <32556ce93bc45c730829083cb60f95a2728ea48b
  5. Affected versionversion=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <988e55abcf7fdb8fc9a76a7cf3f4e939a4d4fb3a
  6. Affected versionversion=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <a2c8dc7e21803257e762b0bf067fd13e9c995da0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.2; version=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <1e75d25133158b525e0456876e9bcfd6b2993fd5; version=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <2ed98ee02d1e08afee88f54baec39ea78dc8a23c; version=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <32556ce93bc45c730829083cb60f95a2728ea48b; version=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <988e55abcf7fdb8fc9a76a7cf3f4e939a4d4fb3a; version=57c3bb725a3dd97d960d7e1cd0845d88de53217f <a2c8dc7e21803257e762b0bf067fd13e9c995da0

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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