CVE-2024-36030
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a double-free memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's octeontx2-af driver. The flaw occurs when the rvu_npc_freemem() function attempts to free memory that has already been released by npc_mcam_rsrcs_deinit(). This affects systems using Marvell OcteonTX2 network adapters with vulnerable kernel versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with octeontx2-af driver
📦 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
Exploitation could lead to kernel panic, system crash, or potential privilege escalation if an attacker can trigger the double-free and control memory allocation patterns.
Likely Case
System instability, kernel crashes, or denial of service affecting network functionality on systems with OcteonTX2 hardware.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if systems are properly segmented and don't expose vulnerable interfaces to untrusted users.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering specific driver code paths and controlling memory allocation timing. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel commits 6e965eba43e9724f3e603d7b7cc83e53b23d155e and f5aa87a2c0a72132ffc793fb0a5375b2a65d520a
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e965eba43e9724f3e603d7b7cc83e53b23d155e
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable octeontx2-af module
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable driver module
echo 'blacklist octeontx2-af' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod octeontx2-af
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to systems with OcteonTX2 hardware to trusted users only
- Implement strict monitoring for kernel crashes or instability on affected systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if octeontx2-af module is loaded: lsmod | grep octeontx2-af. Check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits: grep -r '6e965eba43e9724f3e603d7b7cc83e53b23d155e\|f5aa87a2c0a72132ffc793fb0a5375b2a65d520a' /usr/src/linux-headers-*📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- System crash dumps
- Network interface errors in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- Sudden loss of network connectivity on affected interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "BUG") AND "octeontx2"