ftrace: Fix possible use-after-free issue in ftrace_location()
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ftrace: Fix possible use-after-free issue in ftrace_location() KASAN reports a bug: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in ftrace_location+0x90/0x120 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888141d40010 by task insmod/424 CPU: 8 PID: 424 Comm: insmod Tainted: G W 6.9.0-rc2+ [...] Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x68/0xa0 print_report+0xcf/0x610 kasan_report+0xb5/0xe0 ftrace_location+0x90/0x120 register_kprobe+0x14b/0xa40 kprobe_init+0x2d/0xff0 [kprobe_example] do_one_initcall+0x8f/0x2d0 do_init_module+0x13a/0x3c0 load_module+0x3082/0x33d0 init_module_from_file+0xd2/0x130 __x64_sys_finit_module+0x306/0x440 do_syscall_64+0x68/0x140 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x71/0x79 The root cause is that, in lookup_rec(), ftrace record of some address is being searched in ftrace pages of some module, but those ftrace pages at the same time is being freed in ftrace_release_mod() as the corresponding module is being deleted: CPU1 | CPU2 register_kprobes() { | delete_module() { check_kprobe_address_safe() { | arch_check_ftrace_location() { | ftrace_location() { | lookup_rec() // USE! | ftrace_release_mod() // Free! To fix this issue: 1. Hold rcu lock as accessing ftrace pages in ftrace_location_range(); 2. Use ftrace_location_range() instead of lookup_rec() in ftrace_location(); 3. Call synchronize_rcu() before freeing any ftrace pages both in ftrace_process_locs()/ftrace_release_mod()/ftrace_free_mem().
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
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 | 3.7 and later | 5.4.286, 5.10.227, 5.15.162, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.8.12, 6.9.3, 6.10 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 3.7 and later Fixed in 5.4.286, 5.10.227, 5.15.162, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.8.12, 6.9.3, 6.10 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.7 to before 5.4.286; 5.5 to before 5.10.227; 5.11 to before 5.15.162; 5.16 to before 6.1.93; 6.2 to before 6.6.33; 6.7 to before 6.8.12; 6.9 to before 6.9.3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.7 to before 5.4.286; 5.5 to before 5.10.227; 5.11 to before 5.15.162; 5.16 to before 6.1.93; 6.2 to before 6.6.33; 6.7 to before 6.8.12; 6.9 to before 6.9.3 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.286, 5.10.227, 5.15.162, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.8.12, 6.9.3, 6.10
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 Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-38588
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-9fpr-g62f-647w
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eea46baf145150910ba134f75a67106ba2222c1b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1880a324af1c95940a7c954b6b937e86844a33bd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ea8ef5e42173560ac510e92a1cc797ffeea8831
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dbff5f0bfb2416b8b55c105ddbcd4f885e98fada
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7b4881da5b19f65709f5c18c1a4d8caa2e496461
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/66df065b3106964e667b37bf8f7e55ec69d0c1f6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/31310e373f4c8c74e029d4326b283e757edabc0b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e60b613df8b6253def41215402f72986fee3fc8d
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2024-38588 · CVE Program
- CVE-2024-38588 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-9fpr-g62f-647w · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2024-38588 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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