CVE-2024-49883: ext4: aovid use-after-free in ext4_ext_insert_extent()

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2024-49883 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Use After Free vulnerability in debian debian_linux. EPSS estimates a 0.28% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 20.1% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 21-10-2024
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 05-08-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: aovid use-after-free in ext4_ext_insert_extent() As Ojaswin mentioned in Link, in ext4_ext_insert_extent(), if the path is reallocated in ext4_ext_create_new_leaf(), we'll use the stale path and cause UAF. Below is a sample trace with dummy values: ext4_ext_insert_extent path = *ppath = 2000 ext4_ext_create_new_leaf(ppath) ext4_find_extent(ppath) path = *ppath = 2000 if (depth > path[0].p_maxdepth) kfree(path = 2000); *ppath = path = NULL; path = kcalloc() = 3000 *ppath = 3000; return path; /* here path is still 2000, UAF! */ eh = path[depth].p_hdr ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ext4_ext_insert_extent+0x26d4/0x3330 Read of size 8 at addr ffff8881027bf7d0 by task kworker/u36:1/179 CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 179 Comm: kworker/u6:1 Not tainted 6.11.0-rc2-dirty #866 Call Trace: <TASK> ext4_ext_insert_extent+0x26d4/0x3330 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0xe22/0x2d40 ext4_map_blocks+0x71e/0x1700 ext4_do_writepages+0x1290/0x2800 [...] Allocated by task 179: ext4_find_extent+0x81c/0x1f70 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x146/0x2d40 ext4_map_blocks+0x71e/0x1700 ext4_do_writepages+0x1290/0x2800 ext4_writepages+0x26d/0x4e0 do_writepages+0x175/0x700 [...] Freed by task 179: kfree+0xcb/0x240 ext4_find_extent+0x7c0/0x1f70 ext4_ext_insert_extent+0xa26/0x3330 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0xe22/0x2d40 ext4_map_blocks+0x71e/0x1700 ext4_do_writepages+0x1290/0x2800 ext4_writepages+0x26d/0x4e0 do_writepages+0x175/0x700 [...] ================================================================== So use *ppath to update the path to avoid the above problem.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.