CVE-2024-56642·Kernel vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tipc: Fix use-after-free of kernel socket in cleanup_bearer(). syzkaller reported a use-after-free of UDP kernel socket in cleanup_bearer() without repro. [0][1] When bearer_disable() calls tipc_udp_disable(), cleanup of the UDP kernel socket is deferred by work calling cleanup_bearer(). tipc_exit_net() waits for such works to finish by checking tipc_net(net)->wq_count. However, the work decrements the count too early before releasing the kernel socket, unblocking cleanup_net() and resulting in use-after-free. Let's move the decrement after releasing the socket in cleanup_bearer(). [0]: ref_tracker: net notrefcnt@000000009b3d1faf has 1/1 users at sk_alloc+0x438/0x608 inet_create+0x4c8/0xcb0 __sock_create+0x350/0x6b8 sock_create_kern+0x58/0x78 udp_sock_create4+0x68/0x398 udp_sock_create+0x88/0xc8 tipc_udp_enable+0x5e8/0x848 __tipc_nl_bearer_enable+0x84c/0xed8 tipc_nl_bearer_enable+0x38/0x60 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x170/0x248 genl_rcv_msg+0x400/0x5b0 netlink_rcv_skb+0x1dc/0x398 genl_rcv+0x44/0x68 netlink_unicast+0x678/0x8b0 netlink_sendmsg+0x5e4/0x898 ____sys_sendmsg+0x500/0x830 [1]: BUG: KMSAN: use-after-free in udp_hashslot include/net/udp.h:85 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: use-after-free in udp_lib_unhash+0x3b8/0x930 net/ipv4/udp.c:1979 udp_hashslot include/net/udp.h:85 [inline] udp_lib_unhash+0x3b8/0x930 net/ipv4/udp.c:1979 sk_common_release+0xaf/0x3f0 net/core/sock.c:3820 inet_release+0x1e0/0x260 net/ipv4/af_inet.c:437 inet6_release+0x6f/0xd0 net/ipv6/af_inet6.c:489 __sock_release net/socket.c:658 [inline] sock_release+0xa0/0x210 net/socket.c:686 cleanup_bearer+0x42d/0x4c0 net/tipc/udp_media.c:819 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3229 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xcaf/0x1c90 kernel/workqueue.c:3310 worker_thread+0xf6c/0x1510 kernel/workqueue.c:3391 kthread+0x531/0x6b0 kernel/kthread.c:389 ret_from_fork+0x60/0x80 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:147 ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:244 Uninit was created at: slab_free_hook mm/slub.c:2269 [inline] slab_free mm/slub.c:4580 [inline] kmem_cache_free+0x207/0xc40 mm/slub.c:4682 net_free net/core/net_namespace.c:454 [inline] cleanup_net+0x16f2/0x19d0 net/core/net_namespace.c:647 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3229 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xcaf/0x1c90 kernel/workqueue.c:3310 worker_thread+0xf6c/0x1510 kernel/workqueue.c:3391 kthread+0x531/0x6b0 kernel/kthread.c:389 ret_from_fork+0x60/0x80 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:147 ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:244 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 54 Comm: kworker/0:2 Not tainted 6.12.0-rc1-00131-gf66ebf37d69c #7 91723d6f74857f70725e1583cba3cf4adc716cfa Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.16.3-0-ga6ed6b701f0a-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 Workqueue: events cleanup_bearer
- Severity
- high
- Software
- Kernel
- Fixed in
- 6.12.5
- Published
- 2024-12-27
Affected versions
From: 6.7
Until: 6.12.5
Fixed in: 6.12.5
How to fix this CVE
Update your Linux kernel to version 6.12.5 or later to resolve a use-after-free vulnerability in the TIPC UDP bearer cleanup routine. This vulnerability allows local attackers with low privileges to trigger memory corruption when the kernel network namespace exits while UDP bearer cleanup is in progress. Apply the patch immediately to systems running kernel versions 6.7 through 6.12.4.
sudo dnf update kernelDefensia detects this vulnerability
How to check if you are affected
- Step 1: Check your current kernel version with: uname -r
- Step 2: Verify if TIPC is loaded: lsmod | grep tipc
- Step 3: Search kernel logs for use-after-free errors: dmesg | grep -i 'use-after-free\|kmsan\|udp_lib_unhash'
- Step 4: After patching, reboot and confirm new kernel version: uname -r
FAQ
What is CVE-2024-56642?
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's TIPC UDP bearer cleanup code where the work queue reference count decrements before the UDP socket is released, allowing the network namespace to be freed while the socket is still in use.
Is CVE-2024-56642 being actively exploited?
No, this vulnerability is not listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and no public exploits are currently available.
What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2024-56642?
Kernel versions 6.7.0 through 6.12.4 are vulnerable. Version 6.12.5 and later contain the fix.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-56642?
Run 'uname -r' to check your kernel version; if it falls between 6.7 and 6.12.4, your system is vulnerable. Additionally, verify if TIPC is in use with 'lsmod | grep tipc'.
Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-56642?
Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2024-56642 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related Kernel CVEs
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e69457f9dfae67435f3ccf29008768eae860415
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/650ee9a22d7a2de8999fac2d45983597a0c22359
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a2fa13312e51a621f652d522d7e2df7066330b6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d00d4470bf8c4282617a3a10e76b20a9c7e4cffa
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2a4894f238551eae178904e7f45af87577074fd
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