CVE-2024-42234
📋 TL;DR
A race condition in the Linux kernel's memory management subsystem can cause crashes or kernel panics when large memory pages are being migrated while deferred split operations are occurring. This affects Linux systems running vulnerable kernel versions, potentially leading to system instability or denial of service.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to complete system crash and denial of service, requiring physical or remote reboot.
Likely Case
System instability with occasional crashes, 'Bad page state' errors, or kernel warnings appearing in logs.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact from memory management operations with no security compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering specific race conditions in kernel memory management, making reliable exploitation difficult. Likely discovered through crash analysis rather than active exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel versions with commits be9581ea8c05 and fc7facce686b (included in stable releases after 6.10-rc6)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be9581ea8c058d81154251cb0695987098996cad
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing fixes (commits be9581ea8c05 and fc7facce686b). 2. For distributions: Use package manager to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Transparent Huge Pages
linuxPrevents use of large folios that trigger the race condition
echo never > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/enabled
echo never > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/defrag
Disable Memory Migration
linuxReduces likelihood of triggering the race condition
sysctl -w vm.migration_cost=1000000
echo 2 > /proc/sys/vm/compact_memory
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor system logs for 'Bad page state', 'VM_BUG_ON_PAGE', or kernel panic messages
- Implement system redundancy with failover capabilities to maintain availability during crashes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version: uname -r and compare to affected range (6.7 to 6.10-rc6). Check if transparent huge pages are enabled: cat /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/enabledCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is patched: uname -r should be newer than 6.10-rc6. Check kernel commit history contains be9581ea8c05 and fc7facce686b📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- 'Bad page state' messages in kernel logs
- 'VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(page_ref_count(page) == 0)' errors
- Kernel panic or oops messages related to deferred_split_scan() or folio migration
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local kernel vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("Bad page state" OR "VM_BUG_ON_PAGE" OR "deferred_split" OR "folio migration")