CVE-2024-50250·Kernel vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fsdax: dax_unshare_iter needs to copy entire blocks The code that copies data from srcmap to iomap in dax_unshare_iter is very very broken, which bfoster's recent fsx changes have exposed. If the pos and len passed to dax_file_unshare are not aligned to an fsblock boundary, the iter pos and length in the _iter function will reflect this unalignment. dax_iomap_direct_access always returns a pointer to the start of the kmapped fsdax page, even if its pos argument is in the middle of that page. This is catastrophic for data integrity when iter->pos is not aligned to a page, because daddr/saddr do not point to the same byte in the file as iter->pos. Hence we corrupt user data by copying it to the wrong place. If iter->pos + iomap_length() in the _iter function not aligned to a page, then we fail to copy a full block, and only partially populate the destination block. This is catastrophic for data confidentiality because we expose stale pmem contents. Fix both of these issues by aligning copy_pos/copy_len to a page boundary (remember, this is fsdax so 1 fsblock == 1 base page) so that we always copy full blocks. We're not done yet -- there's no call to invalidate_inode_pages2_range, so programs that have the file range mmap'd will continue accessing the old memory mapping after the file metadata updates have completed. Be careful with the return value -- if the unshare succeeds, we still need to return the number of bytes that the iomap iter thinks we're operating on.
- Severity
- high
- Software
- Kernel
- Fixed in
- 6.11.7
- Published
- 2024-11-09
Affected versions
From: 6.7
Until: 6.11.7
Fixed in: 6.11.7
How to fix this CVE
Update your Linux kernel to version 6.11.7 or later to resolve a critical data integrity and confidentiality issue in the filesystem DAX (Direct Access) layer. The vulnerability allows unaligned memory operations to corrupt user data or expose stale memory contents. Apply the update immediately across all affected systems using your distribution's package manager.
sudo dnf update kernel kernel-develDefensia detects this vulnerability
How to check if you are affected
- Step 1: Check current kernel version with: uname -r
- Step 2: Verify if fsdax is in use by checking: grep -i dax /proc/mounts or grep CONFIG_FS_DAX /boot/config-$(uname -r)
- Step 3: Search system logs for DAX-related errors with: journalctl -u kernel --grep="dax\|unshare" -n 100
- Step 4: After patching, reboot the system and confirm the new kernel version with: uname -r (should be 6.11.7 or later)
FAQ
What is CVE-2024-50250?
CVE-2024-50250 is a critical vulnerability in the Linux kernel's filesystem DAX (Direct Access) implementation that causes data corruption when unsharing memory-mapped file regions. Unaligned memory copy operations can overwrite data at incorrect memory addresses or leak sensitive kernel memory to user applications.
Is CVE-2024-50250 being actively exploited?
No, this vulnerability is not listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog and no public exploits are currently available. However, it can be triggered through specific file operations and should be patched to prevent data loss.
What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2024-50250?
Linux kernel versions 6.7 through 6.11.6 are vulnerable. Version 6.11.7 and later contain the fix.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-50250?
Run: uname -r to check your kernel version. If it reports 6.7 to 6.11.6, your system is vulnerable. Additionally, verify DAX is enabled with: grep CONFIG_FS_DAX /boot/config-$(uname -r)
Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-50250?
Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2024-50250 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related Kernel CVEs
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50793801fc7f6d08def48754fb0f0706b0cfc394
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e9c0f500b42216ef930f5c0d1703989a451913d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9bc18bb476e50e32e5d08f2734d63d63e0fa528c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bdbc96c23197d773a7d1bf03e4f11de593b0ff28
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html
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