high CVSS 7 EPSS <0.1%

CVE-2024-41040·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: Fix UAF when resolving a clash KASAN reports the following UAF: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in tcf_ct_flow_table_process_conn+0x12b/0x380 [act_ct] Read of size 1 at addr ffff888c07603600 by task handler130/6469 Call Trace: <IRQ> dump_stack_lvl+0x48/0x70 print_address_description.constprop.0+0x33/0x3d0 print_report+0xc0/0x2b0 kasan_report+0xd0/0x120 __asan_load1+0x6c/0x80 tcf_ct_flow_table_process_conn+0x12b/0x380 [act_ct] tcf_ct_act+0x886/0x1350 [act_ct] tcf_action_exec+0xf8/0x1f0 fl_classify+0x355/0x360 [cls_flower] __tcf_classify+0x1fd/0x330 tcf_classify+0x21c/0x3c0 sch_handle_ingress.constprop.0+0x2c5/0x500 __netif_receive_skb_core.constprop.0+0xb25/0x1510 __netif_receive_skb_list_core+0x220/0x4c0 netif_receive_skb_list_internal+0x446/0x620 napi_complete_done+0x157/0x3d0 gro_cell_poll+0xcf/0x100 __napi_poll+0x65/0x310 net_rx_action+0x30c/0x5c0 __do_softirq+0x14f/0x491 __irq_exit_rcu+0x82/0xc0 irq_exit_rcu+0xe/0x20 common_interrupt+0xa1/0xb0 </IRQ> <TASK> asm_common_interrupt+0x27/0x40 Allocated by task 6469: kasan_save_stack+0x38/0x70 kasan_set_track+0x25/0x40 kasan_save_alloc_info+0x1e/0x40 __kasan_krealloc+0x133/0x190 krealloc+0xaa/0x130 nf_ct_ext_add+0xed/0x230 [nf_conntrack] tcf_ct_act+0x1095/0x1350 [act_ct] tcf_action_exec+0xf8/0x1f0 fl_classify+0x355/0x360 [cls_flower] __tcf_classify+0x1fd/0x330 tcf_classify+0x21c/0x3c0 sch_handle_ingress.constprop.0+0x2c5/0x500 __netif_receive_skb_core.constprop.0+0xb25/0x1510 __netif_receive_skb_list_core+0x220/0x4c0 netif_receive_skb_list_internal+0x446/0x620 napi_complete_done+0x157/0x3d0 gro_cell_poll+0xcf/0x100 __napi_poll+0x65/0x310 net_rx_action+0x30c/0x5c0 __do_softirq+0x14f/0x491 Freed by task 6469: kasan_save_stack+0x38/0x70 kasan_set_track+0x25/0x40 kasan_save_free_info+0x2b/0x60 ____kasan_slab_free+0x180/0x1f0 __kasan_slab_free+0x12/0x30 slab_free_freelist_hook+0xd2/0x1a0 __kmem_cache_free+0x1a2/0x2f0 kfree+0x78/0x120 nf_conntrack_free+0x74/0x130 [nf_conntrack] nf_ct_destroy+0xb2/0x140 [nf_conntrack] __nf_ct_resolve_clash+0x529/0x5d0 [nf_conntrack] nf_ct_resolve_clash+0xf6/0x490 [nf_conntrack] __nf_conntrack_confirm+0x2c6/0x770 [nf_conntrack] tcf_ct_act+0x12ad/0x1350 [act_ct] tcf_action_exec+0xf8/0x1f0 fl_classify+0x355/0x360 [cls_flower] __tcf_classify+0x1fd/0x330 tcf_classify+0x21c/0x3c0 sch_handle_ingress.constprop.0+0x2c5/0x500 __netif_receive_skb_core.constprop.0+0xb25/0x1510 __netif_receive_skb_list_core+0x220/0x4c0 netif_receive_skb_list_internal+0x446/0x620 napi_complete_done+0x157/0x3d0 gro_cell_poll+0xcf/0x100 __napi_poll+0x65/0x310 net_rx_action+0x30c/0x5c0 __do_softirq+0x14f/0x491 The ct may be dropped if a clash has been resolved but is still passed to the tcf_ct_flow_table_process_conn function for further usage. This issue can be fixed by retrieving ct from skb again after confirming conntrack.

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
6.9.10
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at <0.1% — higher than 2% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Read the two together. CVE-2024-41040 scores 7 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at <0.1%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.

Affected versions

From: 6.7

Until: 6.9.10

Fixed in: 6.9.10

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 6.9.10 or later to resolve a use-after-free vulnerability in the network traffic control scheduler that could lead to memory corruption. The vulnerability occurs when connection tracking clash resolution frees memory that is subsequently accessed by flow table processing. Systems running kernel versions 6.7 through 6.9.9 should prioritize this kernel update as part of routine security maintenance.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Run 'uname -r' to check your current kernel version. If the output shows a version between 6.7.0 and 6.9.9, your system is vulnerable.
  2. Verify traffic control (tc) classifier rules are in use by running 'tc qdisc show'. If flower classifiers with ct (conntrack) actions are configured, the vulnerable code path is active.
  3. Check kernel logs for KASAN warnings containing 'slab-use-after-free' and 'tcf_ct_flow_table_process_conn' by running 'journalctl -xe | grep -i "use-after-free\|tcf_ct"'.
  4. After updating, confirm the new kernel is running with 'uname -r' and verify it matches or exceeds version 6.9.10.

FAQ

What is CVE-2024-41040?

CVE-2024-41040 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's network traffic scheduler where connection tracking clash resolution prematurely frees memory that is later accessed during flow table operations, potentially causing system crashes or memory corruption.

Is CVE-2024-41040 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2024-41040 is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and no public exploits are currently available. However, the vulnerability can be triggered through local network operations and should still be patched promptly.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2024-41040?

Linux kernel versions 6.7.0 through 6.9.9 are affected. The vulnerability was resolved in kernel version 6.9.10 and later.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-41040?

Run 'uname -r' to display your kernel version. If the output shows a version in the range 6.7.x to 6.9.9, your system is vulnerable and requires a kernel update.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-41040?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed kernel package versions against the NVD database. If Linux kernel 6.7–6.9.9 is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2024-41040 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-63795CVSS 10In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: 9p: avoid putting oldfid in p9_client_walk() error path When p9_client_walk() is called with clone set to false, fid aliases oldfid. If the walk subsequently fails after the request has been sent, the error path jumps to clunk_fid, which currently calls p9_fid_put(fid) unconditionally. This drops a reference to oldfid even though ownership of oldfid remains with the caller. If this is the last reference, oldfid can be clunked and destroyed while the caller still expects it to be valid. A later use or put of oldfid can then trigger a use-after-free or refcount underflow. Fix this by only putting fid in the clunk_fid error path when it does not alias oldfid, matching the existing guard in the error path below. This can be triggered when a multi-component walk is split into multiple p9_client_walk() calls and a later non-cloning walk fails. A reproducer and refcount warning logs are available on request.
CVE-2026-46325CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/rxe: Fix iova-to-va conversion for MR page sizes != PAGE_SIZE The current implementation incorrectly handles memory regions (MRs) with page sizes different from the system PAGE_SIZE. The core issue is that rxe_set_page() is called with mr->page_size step increments, but the page_list stores individual struct page pointers, each representing PAGE_SIZE of memory. ib_sg_to_page() has ensured that when i>=1 either a) SG[i-1].dma_end and SG[i].dma_addr are contiguous or b) SG[i-1].dma_end and SG[i].dma_addr are mr->page_size aligned. This leads to incorrect iova-to-va conversion in scenarios: 1) page_size < PAGE_SIZE (e.g., MR: 4K, system: 64K): ibmr->iova = 0x181800 sg[0]: dma_addr=0x181800, len=0x800 sg[1]: dma_addr=0x173000, len=0x1000 Access iova = 0x181800 + 0x810 = 0x182010 Expected VA: 0x173010 (second SG, offset 0x10) Before fix: - index = (0x182010 >> 12) - (0x181800 >> 12) = 1 - page_offset = 0x182010 & 0xFFF = 0x10 - xarray[1] stores system page base 0x170000 - Resulting VA: 0x170000 + 0x10 = 0x170010 (wrong) 2) page_size > PAGE_SIZE (e.g., MR: 64K, system: 4K): ibmr->iova = 0x18f800 sg[0]: dma_addr=0x18f800, len=0x800 sg[1]: dma_addr=0x170000, len=0x1000 Access iova = 0x18f800 + 0x810 = 0x190010 Expected VA: 0x170010 (second SG, offset 0x10) Before fix: - index = (0x190010 >> 16) - (0x18f800 >> 16) = 1 - page_offset = 0x190010 & 0xFFFF = 0x10 - xarray[1] stores system page for dma_addr 0x170000 - Resulting VA: system page of 0x170000 + 0x10 = 0x170010 (wrong) Yi Zhang reported a kernel panic[1] years ago related to this defect. Solution: 1. Replace xarray with pre-allocated rxe_mr_page array for sequential indexing (all MR page indices are contiguous) 2. Each rxe_mr_page stores both struct page* and offset within the system page 3. Handle MR page_size != PAGE_SIZE relationships: - page_size > PAGE_SIZE: Split MR pages into multiple system pages - page_size <= PAGE_SIZE: Store offset within system page 4. Add boundary checks and compatibility validation This ensures correct iova-to-va conversion regardless of MR page size and system PAGE_SIZE relationship, while improving performance through array-based sequential access. Tests on 4K and 64K PAGE_SIZE hosts: - rdma-core/pytests $ ./build/bin/run_tests.py --dev eth0_rxe - blktest: $ TIMEOUT=30 QUICK_RUN=1 USE_RXE=1 NVMET_TRTYPES=rdma ./check nvme srp rnbd [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAHj4cs9XRqE25jyVw9rj9YugffLn5+f=1znaBEnu1usLOciD+g@mail.gmail.com/T/
CVE-2026-52914CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: fix fragment reassembly length accounting batman-adv keeps a running payload length for queued fragments and uses it to validate a fragment chain before reassembly. That accounting currently allows the accumulated fragment length to be truncated during updates. As a result, malformed fragment chains can bypass the intended validation and drive reassembly with inconsistent length state, leading to a local denial of service. Fix the accounting by storing the accumulated length in a length-typed field and rejecting update overflows before the existing validation logic runs. The fix was verified against the original reproducer and against valid fragment reassembly paths.
CVE-2026-53151CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rxrpc: Fix the ACK parser to extract the SACK table for parsing Fix modification of the received skbuff in rxrpc_input_soft_acks() and a potential incorrect access of the buffer in a fragmented UDP packet (the packet would probably have to be deliberately pre-generated as fragmented) when AF_RXRPC tries to extract the contents of the SACK table by copying out the contents of the SACK table into a buffer before attempting to parse AF_RXRPC assumes that it can just call skb_condense() and then validly access the SACK table from skb->data and that it will be a flat buffer - but skb_condense() can silently fail to do anything under some circumstances. Note that whilst rxrpc_input_soft_acks() should be able to parse extended ACKs, the rest of AF_RXRPC doesn't currently support that. Further, there's then no need to call skb_condense() in rxrpc_input_ack(), so don't.
CVE-2026-63800CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pNFS: Fix use-after-free in pnfs_update_layout() When hitting the NFS_LAYOUT_RETURN branch in pnfs_update_layout(), the code calls pnfs_prepare_to_retry_layoutget(lo). If it succeeds, pnfs_put_layout_hdr(lo) is called before trace_pnfs_update_layout(), which still references 'lo'. This results in a use-after-free when the tracepoint accesses lo's fields. Fix this by moving the tracepoint call before pnfs_put_layout_hdr(lo).

References

Track CVEs across your fleet automatically

Defensia scans your Linux servers and tells you exactly which ones are running vulnerable versions — including CVE-2024-41040. Free for 1 server.

Get started free