CVE-2024-50088

Kernel crash via uninitialized pointer free

Published Oct 29, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Memory corruption in Linux kernel Btrfs allows local users to crash the kernel by triggering an uninitialized pointer free. The add_inode_ref() function leaves name.name uninitialized, then passes that indeterminate pointer to kfree() if either directory or inode lookup returns NULL. Reachability requires a local user to drive Btrfs inode-reference replay into one of those lookup-failure paths; the published record does not establish code execution or remote reachability.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory corruption in Linux kernel Btrfs allows local users to crash the kernel by triggering an uninitialized pointer free. The add_inode_ref() function leaves name.name uninitialized, then passes that indeterminate pointer to kfree() if either directory or inode lookup returns NULL. Reachability requires a local user to drive Btrfs inode-reference replay into one of those lookup-failure paths; the published record does not establish code execution or remote reachability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-50088
Published
Oct 29, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 29, 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

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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=1cf474cd474bc5d3ef63086ffd009a87a5b7bb2e <12cf028381aa19bc38465341512c280256e8d82d
  2. Affected versionversion=6.1.57 <6.1.114
  3. Affected versionversion=6.2
  4. Affected versionversion=e43eec81c5167b655b72c781b0e75e62a05e415e <66691c6e2f18d2aa4b22ffb624b9bdc97e9979e4
  5. Affected versionversion=e43eec81c5167b655b72c781b0e75e62a05e415e <a941f3d5b1469c60a7e70e775584f110b47e0d16
  6. Affected versionversion=e43eec81c5167b655b72c781b0e75e62a05e415e <e11ce03b58743bf1e096c48fcaa7e6f08eb75dfa

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1cf474cd474bc5d3ef63086ffd009a87a5b7bb2e <12cf028381aa19bc38465341512c280256e8d82d; version=6.1.57 <6.1.114; version=6.2; version=e43eec81c5167b655b72c781b0e75e62a05e415e <66691c6e2f18d2aa4b22ffb624b9bdc97e9979e4; version=e43eec81c5167b655b72c781b0e75e62a05e415e <a941f3d5b1469c60a7e70e775584f110b47e0d16; version=e43eec81c5167b655b72c781b0e75e62a05e415e <e11ce03b58743bf1e096c48fcaa7e6f08eb75dfa

Published CVSS scores

7.8UbuntuCVSS: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

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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

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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