Cloudanix VulnDB

CVE-2024-26983

None

CVSS

—

EPSS

0.2%

Published

May 1, 2024

CISA due date

—

Cloudanix analysis

Schedule a fix SSVC: Track

A memory handling mistake in the Linux kernel can let attackers crash the system or run code with high privileges during startup, so organizations should install the latest kernel updates as soon as they are available.

Exploitation
Local Privilege
Attacker needs
Local User
Complexity
Moderate
Impact
Privilege Gain
Component
OS kernel
Class
Use After Free
Remediation
Patch
Effort
Medium
Patch risk
Low

What it actually does

Use-after-free in memblock_phys_free called from xbc_exit() after memblock has transferred memory to the buddy allocator on architectures without CONFIG_ARCH_KEEP_MEMBLOCK, allowing invalid access to freed pages during kernel initialization.

Why it matters to the business

Kernel instability, crashes, or potential code execution on Linux systems during boot or module unload, increasing downtime and security exposure for servers, embedded devices, and Android-based products until patched.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access or the ability to influence early boot configuration triggers xbc_exit() after memory handover, causing the kernel to reference already-freed memory in memblock_isolate_range and leading to KASAN-detected UAF that may be turned into arbitrary read/write or privilege escalation.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to a version containing commit 1e7feb31a18c197d63a5e606025ed63c762f8918 or later stable releases that call memblock_free_late() from xbc_exit() and retain memblock_free() only for early init error paths.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the presence of commit 1e7feb31a18c197d63a5e606025ed63c762f8918 in the running kernel source or binary; verify that xbc_exit() invokes memblock_free_late and that no memblock_free call remains in the exit path; test boot with KASAN enabled to ensure the UAF is absent.

Typical attack path

  1. Load or configure bootconfig that allocates xbc memory via memblock
  2. Allow kernel initialization to reach the point where memblock hands memory to buddy allocator
  3. Trigger xbc_exit() path (normally during error unwind or shutdown)
  4. Execute memblock_phys_free which performs unsafe operations on released pages
  5. Leverage resulting UAF for memory corruption or information leak

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for KASAN reports referencing memblock_isolate_range, memblock_phys_free, or xbc_exit during early boot; inspect dmesg and journalctl for use-after-free warnings on architectures without CONFIG_ARCH_KEEP_MEMBLOCK; correlate with bootconfig loading events.

What your security team should do

  • Prioritize kernel upgrades on all affected Linux distributions and Android devices within the next patching cycle
  • Monitor vendor advisories for backported fixes in supported LTS branches
  • Enable kernel hardening options such as CONFIG_ARCH_KEEP_MEMBLOCK where feasible during testing
  • Restrict unprivileged access to boot configuration mechanisms until patches are applied

The record

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bootconfig: use memblock_free_late to free xbc memory to buddy On the time to free xbc memory in xbc_exit(), memblock may has handed over memory to buddy allocator. So it doesn't make sense to free memory back to memblock. memblock_free() called by xbc_exit() even causes UAF bugs on architectures with CONFIG_ARCH_KEEP_MEMBLOCK disabled like x86. Following KASAN logs shows this case. This patch fixes the xbc memory free problem by calling memblock_free() in early xbc init error rewind path and calling memblock_free_late() in xbc exit path to free memory to buddy allocator. [ 9.410890] ================================================================== [ 9.418962] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in memblock_isolate_range+0x12d/0x260 [ 9.426850] Read of size 8 at addr ffff88845dd30000 by task swapper/0/1 [ 9.435901] CPU: 9 PID: 1 Comm: swapper/0 Tainted: G U 6.9.0-rc3-00208-g586b5dfb51b9 #5 [ 9.446403] Hardware name: Intel Corporation RPLP LP5 (CPU:RaptorLake)/RPLP LP5 (ID:13), BIOS IRPPN02.01.01.00.00.19.015.D-00000000 Dec 28 2023 [ 9.460789] Call Trace: [ 9.463518] <TASK> [ 9.465859] dump_stack_lvl+0x53/0x70 [ 9.469949] print_report+0xce/0x610 [ 9.473944] ? __virt_addr_valid+0xf5/0x1b0 [ 9.478619] ? memblock_isolate_range+0x12d/0x260 [ 9.483877] kasan_report+0xc6/0x100 [ 9.487870] ? memblock_isolate_range+0x12d/0x260 [ 9.493125] memblock_isolate_range+0x12d/0x260 [ 9.498187] memblock_phys_free+0xb4/0x160 [ 9.502762] ? __pfx_memblock_phys_free+0x10/0x10 [ 9.508021] ? mutex_unlock+0x7e/0xd0 [ 9.512111] ? __pfx_mutex_unlock+0x10/0x10 [ 9.516786] ? kernel_init_freeable+0x2d4/0x430 [ 9.521850] ? __pfx_kernel_init+0x10/0x10 [ 9.526426] xbc_exit+0x17/0x70 [ 9.529935] kernel_init+0x38/0x1e0 [ 9.533829] ? _raw_spin_unlock_irq+0xd/0x30 [ 9.538601] ret_from_fork+0x2c/0x50 [ 9.542596] ? __pfx_kernel_init+0x10/0x10 [ 9.547170] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 [ 9.551552] </TASK> [ 9.555649] The buggy address belongs to the physical page: [ 9.561875] page: refcount:0 mapcount:0 mapping:0000000000000000 index:0x1 pfn:0x45dd30 [ 9.570821] flags: 0x200000000000000(node=0|zone=2) [ 9.576271] page_type: 0xffffffff() [ 9.580167] raw: 0200000000000000 ffffea0011774c48 ffffea0012ba1848 0000000000000000 [ 9.588823] raw: 0000000000000001 0000000000000000 00000000ffffffff 0000000000000000 [ 9.597476] page dumped because: kasan: bad access detected [ 9.605362] Memory state around the buggy address: [ 9.610714] ffff88845dd2ff00: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 [ 9.618786] ffff88845dd2ff80: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 [ 9.626857] >ffff88845dd30000: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff [ 9.634930] ^ [ 9.638534] ffff88845dd30080: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff [ 9.646605] ffff88845dd30100: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff [ 9.654675] ==================================================================

Affected packages

Ecosystem Package Introduced Fixed
Debian:12 linux 0 6.1.90-1
Debian:13 linux 0 6.8.9-1
Linux Kernel 5.15.0 6.1.88
Mageia:9 dwarves 0 1.27-1.mga9
Mageia:9 kernel 0 6.6.37-1.mga9
Mageia:9 kernel-linus 0 6.6.37-1.mga9
Mageia:9 kmod-virtualbox 0 7.0.18-50.mga9
Mageia:9 kmod-xtables-addons 0 3.24-59.mga9
SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP6 kernel-default 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-default 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6-RT_Update_1 0 1-150600.1.5.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_1 0 1-150600.13.3.7
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-64kb 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-default 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-default-base 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3.150600.12.2.7
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-source 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.2
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-zfcpdump 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 kernel-docs 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.4
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 kernel-obs-build 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 kernel-source 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.2
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 kernel-syms 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 15 SP6 kernel-default 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP6 kernel-azure 0 6.4.0-150600.8.5.4
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP6 kernel-source-azure 0 6.4.0-150600.8.5.4
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP6 kernel-syms-azure 0 6.4.0-150600.8.5.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP6 kernel-default 0 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3
SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP6 kernel-rt 0 6.4.0-150600.10.5.1
SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP6 kernel-rt_debug 0 6.4.0-150600.10.5.1
SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP6 kernel-source-rt 0 6.4.0-150600.10.5.1
SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP6 kernel-syms-rt 0 6.4.0-150600.10.5.1
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS linux 0 3.11.0-12.19
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS linux-aws 0 4.4.0-1002.2
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS linux-azure 0 4.15.0-1023.24~14.04.1
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS linux-lts-xenial 0 4.4.0-13.29~14.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux 0 4.4.0-2.16
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-aws 0 4.4.0-1001.10
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-aws-hwe 0 4.15.0-1030.31~16.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-azure 0 4.11.0-1009.9
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-gcp 0 4.10.0-1004.4
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-hwe 0 4.8.0-39.42~16.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-hwe-edge 0 No fix
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-kvm 0 4.4.0-1004.9
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-oracle 0 4.15.0-1007.9~16.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux 0 4.13.0-16.19
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-aws 0 4.15.0-1001.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-aws-5.0 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-aws-5.3 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-aws-5.4 0 5.4.0-1018.18~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-azure 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-azure-4.15 0 4.15.0-1082.92
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-azure-5.3 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-azure-5.4 0 5.4.0-1020.20~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-azure-edge 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gcp 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gcp-4.15 0 4.15.0-1071.81
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gcp-5.3 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gcp-5.4 0 5.4.0-1019.19~18.04.2
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gke-4.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gke-5.4 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gkeop-5.4 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-hwe 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-hwe-5.4 0 5.4.0-37.41~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-hwe-edge 0 5.0.0-15.16~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-ibm-5.4 0 5.4.0-1010.11~18.04.2
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-kvm 0 4.15.0-1002.2
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-oem 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-oracle 0 4.15.0-1007.9
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-oracle-5.0 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-oracle-5.3 0 No fix
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-oracle-5.4 0 5.4.0-1019.19~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-raspi-5.4 0 5.4.0-1013.13~18.04.1
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux 0 5.4.0-9.12
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-aws 0 5.4.0-1005.5
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-aws-5.11 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-aws-5.13 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-aws-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-aws-5.8 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure 0 5.4.0-1006.6
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure-5.11 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure-5.13 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure-5.8 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure-fde 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure-fde-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-bluefield 0 5.4.0-1007.10
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gcp 0 5.4.0-1005.5
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gcp-5.11 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gcp-5.13 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gcp-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gcp-5.8 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gke 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gke-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gkeop 0 5.4.0-1008.9
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-gkeop-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-hwe-5.11 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-hwe-5.13 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-hwe-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-hwe-5.8 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-ibm 0 5.4.0-1003.4
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-ibm-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-intel-5.13 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-intel-iotg-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-iot 0 5.4.0-1001.3
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-kvm 0 5.4.0-1004.4
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oem-5.10 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oem-5.13 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oem-5.14 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oem-5.6 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oracle 0 5.4.0-1005.5
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oracle-5.11 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oracle-5.13 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oracle-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-oracle-5.8 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-raspi 0 5.4.0-1007.7
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-raspi2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-riscv 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-riscv-5.11 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-riscv-5.15 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-riscv-5.8 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-xilinx-zynqmp 0 5.4.0-1020.24
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-allwinner-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-aws 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-aws-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-aws-6.2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-aws-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-aws-6.8 0 6.8.0-1011.12~22.04.1
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-azure 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-azure-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-azure-6.2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-azure-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-azure-6.8 0 6.8.0-1010.10~22.04.1
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-azure-fde 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-azure-fde-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-azure-fde-6.2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-gcp 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-gcp-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-gcp-6.2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-gcp-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-gcp-6.8 0 6.8.0-1010.11~22.04.1
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-gke 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-gkeop 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-hwe-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-hwe-6.2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-hwe-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-hwe-6.8 0 6.8.0-38.38~22.04.1
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-ibm 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-intel-iot-realtime 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-intel-iotg 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-kvm 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-lowlatency 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 0 6.8.0-38.38.1~22.04.2
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-nvidia 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-nvidia-6.2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-nvidia-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-nvidia-6.8 0 6.8.0-1009.9~22.04.1
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-nvidia-tegra 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-nvidia-tegra-igx 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-oem-5.17 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-oem-6.0 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-oem-6.1 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-oem-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-oracle 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-oracle-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-oracle-6.8 0 6.8.0-1008.8~22.04.1
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-raspi 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-realtime 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-riscv 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-riscv-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-riscv-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-riscv-6.8 0 6.8.0-38.38.1~22.04.1
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-starfive-5.19 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-starfive-6.2 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-starfive-6.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS linux-xilinx-zynqmp 0 No fix
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS:for:NVIDIA:BlueField linux-bluefield 0 No fix
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux 0 6.8.0-38.38
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-aws 0 6.8.0-1011.12
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-azure 0 6.8.0-1010.10
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-gcp 0 6.8.0-1010.11
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-gke 0 6.8.0-1006.9
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-gkeop 0 6.8.0-1001.3
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-ibm 0 6.8.0-1008.8
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-intel 0 6.8.0-1007.14
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-lowlatency 0 6.8.0-38.38.1
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-nvidia 0 6.8.0-1009.9
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-nvidia-lowlatency 0 6.8.0-1009.9.1
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-oem-6.11 0 6.11.0-1007.7
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-oem-6.8 0 6.8.0-1008.8
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-oracle 0 6.8.0-1008.8
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-raspi 0 6.8.0-1007.7
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-raspi-realtime 0 No fix
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-realtime 0 No fix
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS linux-riscv 0 6.8.0-38.38.1
Ubuntu:24.10 linux 0 6.11.0-7.7
Ubuntu:24.10 linux-aws 0 6.11.0-1002.2

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