Preboot memory corruption via invalid pointer release
Published Dec 27, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Invalid-pointer release in Linux EFI libstub 6.2 before 6.6.64 and 6.7 before 6.12.4 allows local users to corrupt memory during UEFI boot. On fail_free_cmdline, the EFI stub calls free_pool() on cmdline_ptr, an out-parameter address likely on the caller's stack, instead of the allocated cmdline buffer. Reachability requires a local foothold that can influence boot plus rare UEFI pool exhaustion after a comparable allocation has succeeded; triggering the invalid free can hang boot or corrupt firmware allocator metadata.
Summary
What happened
Invalid-pointer release in Linux EFI libstub 6.2 before 6.6.64 and 6.7 before 6.12.4 allows local users to corrupt memory during UEFI boot. On fail_free_cmdline, the EFI stub calls free_pool() on cmdline_ptr, an out-parameter address likely on the caller's stack, instead of the allocated cmdline buffer. Reachability requires a local foothold that can influence boot plus rare UEFI pool exhaustion after a comparable allocation has succeeded; triggering the invalid free can hang boot or corrupt firmware allocator metadata.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-56573
- Published
- Dec 27, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-763
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 27, 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
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.
- Affected versionversion=42c8ea3dca094ab82776ca706fb7a9cbe8ac3dc9 <06d39d79cbd5a91a33707951ebf2512d0e759847
- Affected versionversion=42c8ea3dca094ab82776ca706fb7a9cbe8ac3dc9 <d173aee5709bd0994d216d60589ec67f8b11376a
- Affected versionversion=42c8ea3dca094ab82776ca706fb7a9cbe8ac3dc9 <eaafbcf0a5782ae412ca7de12ef83fc48ccea4cf
- Affected versionversion=6.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo