CVE-2024-26924: netfilter: nft_set_pipapo: do not free live element

Published Apr 24, 2024
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: nftsetpipapo: do not free live element

Pablo reports a crash with large batches of elements with a back-to-back add/remove pattern. Quoting Pablo:

addelem("00000000") timeout 100 ms ... addelem("0000000X") timeout 100 ms delelem("0000000X") <---------------- delete one that was just added ... addelem("00005000") timeout 100 ms

1) nftpipaporemove() removes element 0000000X Then, KASAN shows a splat.

Looking at the remove function there is a chance that we will drop a rule that maps to a non-deactivated element.

Removal happens in two steps, first we do a lookup for key k and return the to-be-removed element and mark it as inactive in the next generation. Then, in a second step, the element gets removed from the set/map.

The remove function does not work correctly if we have more than one element that share the same key.

This can happen if we insert an element into a set when the set already holds an element with same key, but the element mapping to the existing key has timed out or is not active in the next generation.

In such case its possible that removal will unmap the wrong element. If this happens, we will leak the non-deactivated element, it becomes unreachable.

The element that got deactivated (and will be freed later) will remain reachable in the set data structure, this can result in a crash when such an element is retrieved during lookup (stale pointer).

Add a check that the fully matching key does in fact map to the element that we have marked as inactive in the deactivation step. If not, we need to continue searching.

Add a bug/warn trap at the end of the function as well, the remove function must not ever be called with an invisible/unreachable/non-existent element.

v2: avoid uneeded temporary variable (Stefano)

Other sources

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: nftsetpipapo: do not free live element

The Linux kernel CVE team has assigned CVE-2024-26924 to this issue.

Upstream advisory: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2024042420-CVE-2024-26924-4d1e@gregkh/T

Red Hat

Affected Software

14 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/kernel<6.9
6.9
Linux Linux kernel>=5.6<5.10.216
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.157
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.88
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.29
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.8.8
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc4
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1
IBM Security Verify Governance<=ISVG 10.0.2
IBM Security Verify Governance - Identity Manager virtual appliance component<=ISVG 10.0.2

Event History

Apr 24, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·09:49 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·09:49 PM
Description
Apr 25, 2024
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:15 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·02:03 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jul 4, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·03:17 AM
Description
Apr 27, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·12:16 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2024-26924?

CVE-2024-26924 has a high severity rating due to the potential for system crashes under specific circumstances.

2

How do I fix CVE-2024-26924?

To resolve CVE-2024-26924, update to the specified kernel version 6.9 or applicable versions as outlined for Debian systems.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2024-26924?

CVE-2024-26924 affects the Linux kernel versions prior to the fixes found in the recommended updates for Red Hat and Debian.

4

What is the exploit vector for CVE-2024-26924?

CVE-2024-26924 can be exploited through a back-to-back add/remove pattern with large batches of elements in the netfilter subsystem.

5

Who reported CVE-2024-26924?

CVE-2024-26924 was reported by a user named Pablo, who encountered crashes related to the vulnerability.

Contact

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