CVE-2024-35930

What it actually does

Memory leak in lpfc_rcv_padisc() when lpfc_sli4_resume_rpi() returns failure status, leaving elsiocb resources unreleased.

Why it matters to the business

Gradual memory exhaustion on Linux systems using the lpfc driver can lead to degraded performance or crashes in storage-heavy environments; low exploit likelihood reduces immediate urgency.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access triggers repeated calls to lpfc_rcv_padisc() under conditions where lpfc_sli4_resume_rpi() fails, accumulating unreleased elsiocb structures without remote code execution or privilege escalation paths observed in the wild.

How to fix it

Upgrade the Linux kernel to a version containing commit edf82aa7e9eb864a09229392054d131b34a5c9e8 which adds the missing return-value check and elsiocb release in lpfc_rcv_padisc().

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the patch is present by inspecting the lpfc_rcv_padisc() function for the conditional release after lpfc_sli4_resume_rpi(); run kernel regression tests exercising lpfc error paths.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local user access on affected Linux kernel
2. Trigger SCSI fabric login or PADI state machine paths exercising lpfc_rcv_padisc()
3. Force lpfc_sli4_resume_rpi() to return error status repeatedly
4. Monitor for gradual memory consumption without corresponding release

How to detect it

Review kernel memory accounting and slab statistics for lpfc-related allocations; correlate with lpfc driver logs showing repeated resume_rpi failures without corresponding completions.

What your security team should do

• Apply the fixed kernel commit to all systems using the lpfc driver
• Prioritize updates on storage servers with high lpfc utilization
• Monitor memory usage trends on lpfc-equipped hosts until patched