CVE-2024-26829

What it actually does

Memory leak in irtoy_tx when irtoy_command fails to free the allocated buf buffer, leading to unreleased kernel memory.

Why it matters to the business

Gradual exhaustion of kernel memory resources over repeated failed operations can degrade system stability and performance in affected environments; low urgency given zero KEV status and flat EPSS trend.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker triggers repeated irtoy_tx operations that cause irtoy_command to fail, accumulating unfreed buffers until memory pressure impacts the system; no named threat actors or ransomware usage reported.

How to fix it

Update to a fixed kernel version that includes the commit resolving the memleak in irtoy_tx; for go-ethereum users the referenced commit 25c9b49fdb74931137431c24cf28d3c65f9420d2 addresses the issue in listed packages.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the presence of the fix commit in the running kernel source or binary; monitor kernel memory statistics before and after operations that previously triggered the leak path.

Typical attack path

1. Identify systems exposing ir_toy functionality
2. Craft inputs that cause irtoy_command to return failure
3. Repeat the operation to trigger allocation without corresponding free
4. Monitor for system-wide memory depletion effects

How to detect it

Inspect kernel logs for repeated irtoy_tx and irtoy_command failure patterns; correlate with rising memory usage in slab or kmalloc statistics without corresponding process growth.

What your security team should do

• Apply the kernel patch or upgrade to a fixed release immediately for systems using ir_toy
• Prioritize based on exposure of infrared toy hardware interfaces
• Review memory usage trends on affected hosts as a temporary compensating control