CVE-2024-26921

inet: inet_defrag: prevent sk release while still in use

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: April 18, 2024 at 09:47 AM UTC
Updated: August 5, 2026 at 12:04 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.4%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: inet: inet_defrag: prevent sk release while still in use ip_local_out() and other functions can pass skb->sk as function argument. If the skb is a fragment and reassembly happens before such function call returns, the sk must not be released. This affects skb fragments reassembled via netfilter or similar modules, e.g. openvswitch or ct_act.c, when run as part of tx pipeline. Eric Dumazet made an initial analysis of this bug. Quoting Eric: Calling ip_defrag() in output path is also implying skb_orphan(), which is buggy because output path relies on sk not disappearing. A relevant old patch about the issue was : 8282f27449bf ("inet: frag: Always orphan skbs inside ip_defrag()") [..] net/ipv4/ip_output.c depends on skb->sk being set, and probably to an inet socket, not an arbitrary one. If we orphan the packet in ipvlan, then downstream things like FQ packet scheduler will not work properly. We need to change ip_defrag() to only use skb_orphan() when really needed, ie whenever frag_list is going to be used. Eric suggested to stash sk in fragment queue and made an initial patch. However there is a problem with this: If skb is refragmented again right after, ip_do_fragment() will copy head->sk to the new fragments, and sets up destructor to sock_wfree. IOW, we have no choice but to fix up sk_wmem accouting to reflect the fully reassembled skb, else wmem will underflow. This change moves the orphan down into the core, to last possible moment. As ip_defrag_offset is aliased with sk_buff->sk member, we must move the offset into the FRAG_CB, else skb->sk gets clobbered. This allows to delay the orphaning long enough to learn if the skb has to be queued or if the skb is completing the reasm queue. In the former case, things work as before, skb is orphaned. This is safe because skb gets queued/stolen and won't continue past reasm engine. In the latter case, we will steal the skb->sk reference, reattach it to the head skb, and fix up wmem accouting when inet_frag inflates truesize.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

4.1 ≤ v < 5.10.2274.1 ≤ v < 5.15.1684.1 ≤ v < 5.4.2854.1 ≤ v < 6.1.854.1 ≤ v < 6.6.264.1 ≤ v < 6.8.54.1 ≤ v < 6.95.11 ≤ v < 5.15.1685.16 ≤ v < 6.1.855.5 ≤ v < 5.10.2276.2 ≤ v < 6.6.266.7 ≤ v < 6.8.56.9 rc17026b1ddb6b8d4e6ee33dc2bd06c0ca8746fa7ab
Vendor states this is fixed in 18685451fc4e546fc0e718580d32df3c0e5c8272 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 1b6de5e6575b56502665c65cf93b0ae6aa0f51ab (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4318608dc28ef184158b4045896740716bea23f0 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7d0567842b78390dd9b60f00f1d8f838d540e325 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 9705f447bf9a6cd088300ad2c407b5e1c6591091 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in e09cbe017311508c21e0739e97198a8388b98981 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f4877225313d474659ee53150ccc3d553a978727 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.1 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.227 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.168 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.285 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.85 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.26 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.8.5 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.9 (unaffected)

References (8)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18685451fc4e546fc0e718580d32df3c0e5c8272
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b6de5e6575b56502665c65cf93b0ae6aa0f51ab
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4318608dc28ef184158b4045896740716bea23f0
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d0567842b78390dd9b60f00f1d8f838d540e325
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9705f447bf9a6cd088300ad2c407b5e1c6591091
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e09cbe017311508c21e0739e97198a8388b98981
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f4877225313d474659ee53150ccc3d553a978727
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00002.html

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitAutomatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
NVD-CWE-noinfo

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