CVE-2024-49881

Kernel crash via stale ext4 path pointer

Published Oct 21, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Denial of service in affected Linux kernel branches beginning with 3.18 allows local users to crash the kernel through ext4 extent operations. When ext4_find_extent reallocates an undersized path, it clears orig_path but fails to restore that caller-visible pointer after successful allocation. A low-privileged local process must drive a mounted ext4 filesystem into the deeper extent path; the null pointer then reaches ext4_split_extent_at and crashes the kernel, while other paths can leak the allocation.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in affected Linux kernel branches beginning with 3.18 allows local users to crash the kernel through ext4 extent operations. When ext4_find_extent reallocates an undersized path, it clears orig_path but fails to restore that caller-visible pointer after successful allocation. A low-privileged local process must drive a mounted ext4 filesystem into the deeper extent path; the null pointer then reaches ext4_split_extent_at and crashes the kernel, while other paths can leak the allocation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-49881
Published
Oct 21, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 21, 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=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <11b230100d6801c014fab2afabc8bdea304c1b96
  2. Affected versionversion=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <5b4b2dcace35f618fe361a87bae6f0d13af31bc1
  3. Affected versionversion=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <6766937d0327000ac1b87c97bbecdd28b0dd6599
  4. Affected versionversion=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <6801ed1298204d16a38571091e31178bfdc3c679
  5. Affected versionversion=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <a9fcb1717d75061d3653ed69365c8d45331815cd
  6. Affected versionversion=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <b63481b3a388ee2df9e295f97273226140422a42
  7. Affected versionversion=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <ec0c0beb9b777cdd1edd7df9b36e0f3e67e2bdff
  8. Affected versionversion=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <f55ecc58d07a6c1f6d6d5b5af125c25f8da0bda2
  9. Affected versionversion=3.18

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <11b230100d6801c014fab2afabc8bdea304c1b96; version=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <5b4b2dcace35f618fe361a87bae6f0d13af31bc1; version=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <6766937d0327000ac1b87c97bbecdd28b0dd6599; version=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <6801ed1298204d16a38571091e31178bfdc3c679; version=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <a9fcb1717d75061d3653ed69365c8d45331815cd; version=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <b63481b3a388ee2df9e295f97273226140422a42; version=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <ec0c0beb9b777cdd1edd7df9b36e0f3e67e2bdff; version=10809df84a4d868db61af621bae3658494165279 <f55ecc58d07a6c1f6d6d5b5af125c25f8da0bda2; version=3.18

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS: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

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

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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