CVE-2024-36001
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netfs subsystem when writing to files in writethrough mode can cause kernel warnings and potential system instability. This affects Linux systems using the netfs filesystem layer with specific write operations. The vulnerability requires local access to exploit.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux Kernel
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic or system crash due to race condition triggering WARNING messages and potential memory corruption.
Likely Case
System instability with kernel warnings in logs, possible file corruption or data loss in affected write operations.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact from additional flush operations with no security impact when patched.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and specific write operations. More likely to cause system instability than privilege escalation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 5eaf23b2e81349f6614f88396dc468fda89fc0b9 and c97f59e276d4e93480f29a70accbd0d7273cf3f5
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5eaf23b2e81349f6614f88396dc468fda89fc0b9
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid writethrough mode
linuxConfigure applications to avoid using O_SYNC, RWF_SYNC, or NETFS_ICTX_WRITETHROUGH flags for file operations
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems where kernel stability is critical
- Monitor system logs for kernel warnings related to netfs_writeback_lookup_folio
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if netfs subsystem is in use. Vulnerable if using kernel before fix commits with netfs operations.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits: 5eaf23b2e81349f6614f88396dc468fda89fc0b9 and c97f59e276d4e93480f29a70accbd0d7273cf3f5📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel WARNING messages containing 'netfs_writeback_lookup_folio' or 'folio is not under writeback'
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("netfs_writeback_lookup_folio" OR "folio is not under writeback")