CVE-2024-36009

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ax25: Fix netdev refcount issue The dev_tracker is added to ax25_cb in ax25_bind(). When the ax25 device is detaching, the dev_tracker of ax25_cb should be deallocated in ax25_kill_by_device() instead of the dev_tracker of ax25_dev. The log reported by ref_tracker is shown below: [ 80.884935] ref_tracker: reference already released. [ 80.885150] ref_tracker: allocated in: [ 80.885349] ax25_dev_device_up+0x105/0x540 [ 80.885730] ax25_device_event+0xa4/0x420 [ 80.885730] notifier_call_chain+0xc9/0x1e0 [ 80.885730] __dev_notify_flags+0x138/0x280 [ 80.885730] dev_change_flags+0xd7/0x180 [ 80.885730] dev_ifsioc+0x6a9/0xa30 [ 80.885730] dev_ioctl+0x4d8/0xd90 [ 80.885730] sock_do_ioctl+0x1c2/0x2d0 [ 80.885730] sock_ioctl+0x38b/0x4f0 [ 80.885730] __se_sys_ioctl+0xad/0xf0 [ 80.885730] do_syscall_64+0xc4/0x1b0 [ 80.885730] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0x6f [ 80.885730] ref_tracker: freed in: [ 80.885730] ax25_device_event+0x272/0x420 [ 80.885730] notifier_call_chain+0xc9/0x1e0 [ 80.885730] dev_close_many+0x272/0x370 [ 80.885730] unregister_netdevice_many_notify+0x3b5/0x1180 [ 80.885730] unregister_netdev+0xcf/0x120 [ 80.885730] sixpack_close+0x11f/0x1b0 [ 80.885730] tty_ldisc_kill+0xcb/0x190 [ 80.885730] tty_ldisc_hangup+0x338/0x3d0 [ 80.885730] __tty_hangup+0x504/0x740 [ 80.885730] tty_release+0x46e/0xd80 [ 80.885730] __fput+0x37f/0x770 [ 80.885730] __x64_sys_close+0x7b/0xb0 [ 80.885730] do_syscall_64+0xc4/0x1b0 [ 80.885730] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0x6f [ 80.893739] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 80.894030] WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 140 at lib/ref_tracker.c:255 ref_tracker_free+0x47b/0x6b0 [ 80.894297] Modules linked in: [ 80.894929] CPU: 2 PID: 140 Comm: ax25_conn_rel_6 Not tainted 6.9.0-rc4-g8cd26fd90c1a #11 [ 80.895190] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.14.0-0-g155821a1990b-prebuilt.qem4 [ 80.895514] RIP: 0010:ref_tracker_free+0x47b/0x6b0 [ 80.895808] Code: 83 c5 18 4c 89 eb 48 c1 eb 03 8a 04 13 84 c0 0f 85 df 01 00 00 41 83 7d 00 00 75 4b 4c 89 ff 9 [ 80.896171] RSP: 0018:ffff888009edf8c0 EFLAGS: 00000286 [ 80.896339] RAX: 1ffff1100141ac00 RBX: 1ffff1100149463b RCX: dffffc0000000000 [ 80.896502] RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: 0000000000000246 RDI: ffff88800a0d6518 [ 80.896925] RBP: ffff888009edf9b0 R08: ffff88806d3288d3 R09: 1ffff1100da6511a [ 80.897212] R10: dffffc0000000000 R11: ffffed100da6511b R12: ffff88800a4a31d4 [ 80.897859] R13: ffff88800a4a31d8 R14: dffffc0000000000 R15: ffff88800a0d6518 [ 80.898279] FS: 00007fd88b7fe700(0000) GS:ffff88806d300000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 80.899436] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 80.900181] CR2: 00007fd88c001d48 CR3: 000000000993e000 CR4: 00000000000006f0 ... [ 80.935774] ref_tracker: sp%d@000000000bb9df3d has 1/1 users at [ 80.935774] ax25_bind+0x424/0x4e0 [ 80.935774] __sys_bind+0x1d9/0x270 [ 80.935774] __x64_sys_bind+0x75/0x80 [ 80.935774] do_syscall_64+0xc4/0x1b0 [ 80.935774] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0x6f Change ax25_dev->dev_tracker to the dev_tracker of ax25_cb in order to mitigate the bug.

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2024-05-20 10:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-08-04 11:18 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.2% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 7.8 HIGH (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2024-05-20 10:15 UTC

Last modified

2026-08-04 11:18 UTC

Exploit probability

0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Linux Kernel < 4.15
• Linux Kernel < 4.20
• Linux Kernel < 5.5
• Linux Kernel < 5.11
• Linux Kernel < 5.16
• Linux Kernel < 6.1.90
• Linux Kernel < 6.6.30
• Linux Kernel < 6.8.9

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 7.8

Attack vector

Local

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

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