Skip to content
Noroxi
NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2024-36890: mm/slab: make __free(kfree) accept error pointers

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.23% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 6.1.91, 79cbe0be6c0317b215ddd8bd3e32f0afdac48543, 946771c2a2b1150f9b7286feadc3aa1e15a1eb16.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 6.1.91, 79cbe0be6c0317b215ddd8bd3e32f0afdac48543, 946771c2a2b1150f9b7286feadc3aa1e15a1eb16 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/slab: make __free(kfree) accept error pointers Currently, if an automatically freed allocation is an error pointer that will lead to a crash. An example of this is in wm831x_gpio_dbg_show(). 171 char *label __free(kfree) = gpiochip_dup_line_label(chip, i); 172 if (IS_ERR(label)) { 173 dev_err(wm831x->dev, "Failed to duplicate label\n"); 174 continue; 175 } The auto clean up function should check for error pointers as well, otherwise we're going to keep hitting issues like this.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
May 30, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 14th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.2%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.5
CNA · Linux
7.8
2.3 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2024-36890

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

One daily email digest (06:00 UTC); connect a webhook for KEV listings and weaponized exploits instantly.

Your free account also gets you

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

  • Stack alerts: add the products and versions you run, get the new CVEs that affect them
  • Uptime monitoring: 1 site, instant email when it goes down
  • Add your domain: subdomains and takeover risk scanned every week (1 domain)
  • 10 scans an hour on the security tools (3 a day without an account), an API key and MCP
  • All your scans in one panel: findings, what changed in the last scan, a report per domain or per client (PDF, share link)
All free tools

Sign up with email · Have an account? Sign in

Free account, no card. Unfollow any time.

Don't want an account? Get "Exploited this week" by email every MondayDon't want an account? RSS feed for linux records

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

Is your version affected? Check it

Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

We use this product, ask for help

Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel6.1.79 and later · before 6.1.91
  • linux linux kernel6.5 and later · before 6.6.31
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.8.10
  • linux linux kernel6.9

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 6.5affected
    • af53aaf20722d745a69a051114a1ae237f5b922e and later · before edca32f87329d6e341d2143a3b58ec254e8f6b88affected · git
    • f550466949e822afcd0b546a4fc35795930660bc and later · before 946771c2a2b1150f9b7286feadc3aa1e15a1eb16affected · git
    • 3c6cc62ce1265aa5623e2e1b29c0fe258bf6e232 and later · before 9f6eb0ab4f95240589ee85fd9886a944cd3645b2affected · git
    • 54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 and later · before ac6cf3ce9b7d12acb7b528248df5f87caa25fcdcaffected · git
    • 54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 and later · before 79cbe0be6c0317b215ddd8bd3e32f0afdac48543affected · git
    • 54da6a0924311c7cf5015533991e44fb8eb12773 and later · before cd7eb8f83fcf258f71e293f7fc52a70be8ed0128affected · git
    • 6.1.79 and later · before 6.1.91affected · semver
    • before 6.5not affected · semver
    • 6.1.91 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.94-16.1.94-1
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.8.11-16.8.11-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2024-36888May 30, 2024 · workqueue: Fix selection of wake_cpu in kick_pool()
    24Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2024-36889May 30, 2024 · mptcp: ensure snd_nxt is properly initialized on connect
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2024-36891May 30, 2024 · maple_tree: fix mas_empty_area_rev() null pointer dereference
    22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux6.1.91Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux79cbe0be6c0317b215ddd8bd3e32f0afdac48543Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux946771c2a2b1150f9b7286feadc3aa1e15a1eb16Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux9f6eb0ab4f95240589ee85fd9886a944cd3645b2Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxac6cf3ce9b7d12acb7b528248df5f87caa25fcdcVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxcd7eb8f83fcf258f71e293f7fc52a70be8ed0128Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxedca32f87329d6e341d2143a3b58ec254e8f6b88Vendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.1.94-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2021-4708787 days aparttee: optee: Fix incorrect page free bug
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2022-48425439 days apartIn the Linux kernel through 6.2.7, fs/ntfs3/inode.c has an invalid kfree because it does not validate MFT flags before replaying logs.
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2022-4696505 days apartThere exists a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel through io_uring and the IORING_OP_SPLICE operation.
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2024-4213261 days apartbluetooth/hci: disallow setting handle bigger than HCI_CONN_HANDLE_MAX
    28Monitor
  • CVE-2021-472219 days apartmm/slub: actually fix freelist pointer vs redzoning
    22Monitor
  • CVE-2021-473879 days apartcpufreq: schedutil: Use kobject release() method to free sugov_tunables
    22Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-763 · Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (5 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records