Local privilege escalation via stale VSOCK transport pointer
Published Dec 2, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel Hyper-V VSOCK transport allows local users to execute code in kernel context through AF_VSOCK sockets. When hvs_destruct releases struct hvsock, it leaves vsk->trans referencing freed heap memory, and later receive or connection paths read and write through that stale pointer. An unprivileged process in a Hyper-V guest can drive the connect sequence to disclose kernel memory, corrupt kernel objects, hijack control flow, or panic the guest; the flaw does not cross into the host.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel Hyper-V VSOCK transport allows local users to execute code in kernel context through AF_VSOCK sockets. When hvs_destruct releases struct hvsock, it leaves vsk->trans referencing freed heap memory, and later receive or connection paths read and write through that stale pointer. An unprivileged process in a Hyper-V guest can drive the connect sequence to disclose kernel memory, corrupt kernel objects, hijack control flow, or panic the guest; the flaw does not cross into the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-53103
- Published
- Dec 2, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 2, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=4.14
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <285266ef92f7b4bf7d26e1e95e215ce6a6badb4a
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <414476c4fb11be070c09ab8f3e75c9ee324a108a
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <4bdc5a62c6e50600d8a1c3e18fd6dce0c27c9497
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <4fe1d42f2acc463b733bb42e3f8e67dbc2a0eb2d
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <7cf25987820350cb950856c71b409e5b6eed52bd
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <8621725afb38e111969c64280b71480afde2aace
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <98d8dde9232250a57ad5ef16479bf6a349e09b80
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <e0fe3392371293175f25028020ded5267f4cd8e3
- Affected versionversion=ae0078fcf0a5eb3a8623bfb5f988262e0911fdb9 <e629295bd60abf4da1db85b82819ca6a4f6c1e79
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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