mm: swap: fix race between free_swap_and_cache() and swapoff()
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 14 fixed, 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm: swap: fix race between free_swap_and_cache() and swapoff() There was previously a theoretical window where swapoff() could run and teardown a swap_info_struct while a call to free_swap_and_cache() was running in another thread. This could cause, amongst other bad possibilities, swap_page_trans_huge_swapped() (called by free_swap_and_cache()) to access the freed memory for swap_map. This is a theoretical problem and I haven't been able to provoke it from a test case. But there has been agreement based on code review that this is possible (see link below). Fix it by using get_swap_device()/put_swap_device(), which will stall swapoff(). There was an extra check in _swap_info_get() to confirm that the swap entry was not free. This isn't present in get_swap_device() because it doesn't make sense in general due to the race between getting the reference and swapoff. So I've added an equivalent check directly in free_swap_and_cache(). Details of how to provoke one possible issue (thanks to David Hildenbrand for deriving this): --8<----- __swap_entry_free() might be the last user and result in "count == SWAP_HAS_CACHE". swapoff->try_to_unuse() will stop as soon as soon as si->inuse_pages==0. So the question is: could someone reclaim the folio and turn si->inuse_pages==0, before we completed swap_page_trans_huge_swapped(). Imagine the following: 2 MiB folio in the swapcache. Only 2 subpages are still references by swap entries. Process 1 still references subpage 0 via swap entry. Process 2 still references subpage 1 via swap entry. Process 1 quits. Calls free_swap_and_cache(). -> count == SWAP_HAS_CACHE [then, preempted in the hypervisor etc.] Process 2 quits. Calls free_swap_and_cache(). -> count == SWAP_HAS_CACHE Process 2 goes ahead, passes swap_page_trans_huge_swapped(), and calls __try_to_reclaim_swap(). __try_to_reclaim_swap()->folio_free_swap()->delete_from_swap_cache()-> put_swap_folio()->free_swap_slot()->swapcache_free_entries()-> swap_entry_free()->swap_range_free()-> ... WRITE_ONCE(si->inuse_pages, si->inuse_pages - nr_entries); What stops swapoff to succeed after process 2 reclaimed the swap cache but before process1 finished its call to swap_page_trans_huge_swapped()? --8<-----
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 4.11 and later | 5.10.215, 5.15.154, 6.1.84, 6.6.24, 6.7.12, 6.8.3, 6.9 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.11 and later Fixed in 5.10.215, 5.15.154, 6.1.84, 6.6.24, 6.7.12, 6.8.3, 6.9 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.215, 5.15.154, 6.1.84, 6.6.24, 6.7.12, 6.8.3, 6.9
Red Hat 4 advisories
- RHSA-2025:1658 Released 2025-02-19 · Red Hat rating Moderatekernel security update
- Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v.9.4) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4, libperf-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.4) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4 +11
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.4) bpftool-7.3.0-427.55.1.el9_4, kernel-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4, kernel-64k-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4 +29
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time EUS (v.9.4) kernel-rt-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4 +9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV EUS (v.9.4) kernel-rt-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-427.55.1.el9_4 +11
- RHSA-2024:9315 Released 2024-11-12 · Red Hat rating Moderatekernel security update
- Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-cross-headers-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, libperf-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) bpftool-7.4.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-64k-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5 +30
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5 +9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5 +11
- RHSA-2024:5101 Released 2024-08-08 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) bpftool-4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10, kernel-4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10 +19
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) kernel-tools-libs-devel-4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10
Show 1 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2024:5102 Released 2024-08-08 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel-rt security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8) kernel-rt-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10, kernel-rt-core-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10, kernel-rt-debug-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10 +9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8) kernel-rt-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10, kernel-rt-core-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10, kernel-rt-debug-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10 +7
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v.9.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:1658 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:1658 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:5101 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:1658 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:5101 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:5102 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:5102 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time EUS (v.9.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:1658 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV EUS (v.9.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:1658 |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9)
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-26960
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-2fxm-8374-c95m
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d85c11c97ecf92d47a4b29e3faca714dc1f18d0d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2da5568ee222ce0541bfe446a07998f92ed1643e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ede7f1d7eed1738d1b9333fd1e152ccb450b86a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f98f6d2fb5fad00f8299b84b85b6bc1b6d7d19a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ce4c4c653e4e478ecb15d3c88e690f12cbf6b39
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/363d17e7f7907c8e27a9e86968af0eaa2301787b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/82b1c07a0af603e3c47b906c8e991dc96f01688e
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Sources
- CVE-2024-26960 · CVE Program
- CVE-2024-26960 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-2fxm-8374-c95m · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2024-26960 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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