CVE-2024-27014 – A race condition in the Linux kernel's mlx5e ne... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-27014?

CVE-2024-27014 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). A race condition in the Linux kernel's mlx5e network driver causes a deadlock when disabling aRFS (accelerated receive flow steering) while holding the state_lock. This vulnerability affects systems using Mellanox network adapters with the mlx5e driver. The deadlock can cause system instability or denial of service.

📋 TL;DR

A race condition in the Linux kernel's mlx5e network driver causes a deadlock when disabling aRFS (accelerated receive flow steering) while holding the state_lock. This vulnerability affects systems using Mellanox network adapters with the mlx5e driver. The deadlock can cause system instability or denial of service.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with mlx5e driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with Mellanox ConnectX network adapters using the mlx5e driver. Vulnerability triggers when using ethtool to change network channel configuration while aRFS is enabled.

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

System deadlock requiring hard reboot, causing complete denial of service for affected network interfaces and potentially system-wide instability.

🟠

Likely Case

System hang or kernel panic when specific network configuration changes are made via ethtool, requiring system reboot to recover.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if the vulnerable code path is not triggered through ethtool operations or if the system is patched.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This requires local access or privileged network configuration changes, not directly exploitable from the network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Privileged users or automated management tools could trigger the deadlock during network configuration changes.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires privileged access to execute ethtool commands. The vulnerability is a race condition that can be triggered intentionally but is not a traditional security exploit.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 0080bf99499468030248ebd25dd645e487dcecdc or later

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0080bf99499468030248ebd25dd645e487dcecdc

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commit. 2. For distributions: Use package manager to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable aRFS

linux

Prevent the deadlock by disabling accelerated receive flow steering

ethtool -K <interface> ntuple off

Avoid ethtool channel changes

linux

Do not change network channel configuration while aRFS is enabled

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Avoid using ethtool to modify network channel configuration on affected systems
Implement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized users from running ethtool commands

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if mlx5e driver is loaded: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep mlx5'

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commit: 'grep -q 0080bf99499468030248ebd25dd645e487dcecdc /proc/version' or check kernel source

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel logs showing 'possible circular locking dependency detected'
System hangs or watchdog timeouts during network configuration

Network Indicators:

Network interface becoming unresponsive after configuration changes

SIEM Query:

kernel: "possible circular locking dependency detected" AND "mlx5_core"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-27014

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

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

CWE: CWE-667

Published: May 1, 2024

Last Updated: November 4, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

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📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

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⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

Worst Case

Likely Case

If Mitigated

🎯 Exploit Status

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Instructions:

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable aRFS

Avoid ethtool channel changes

🧯 If You Can't Patch

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Version:

Verify Fix Applied:

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Network Indicators:

SIEM Query:

📊 Metadata

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities