CVE-2024-49983 – This CVE describes a double-free vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-49983?

CVE-2024-49983 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This CVE describes a double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem driver. An attacker could potentially exploit this to cause a kernel panic (denial of service) or possibly achieve local privilege escalation. All systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with ext4 filesystem support are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem driver. An attacker could potentially exploit this to cause a kernel panic (denial of service) or possibly achieve local privilege escalation. All systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with ext4 filesystem support are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific vulnerable kernel versions not specified in CVE description, but patches exist in stable kernel trees.

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using ext4 filesystem. The vulnerability is in the ext4 journal replay code during filesystem recovery.

📦 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

Local privilege escalation leading to full system compromise or kernel panic causing system crash and denial of service.

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, requiring physical or remote console access to reboot.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if patched or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local vulnerability requiring filesystem access, not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or compromised services with filesystem access could exploit this to crash systems or escalate privileges.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger ext4 journal replay operations. No public exploit code is known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patched in Linux kernel stable versions via commits referenced in CVE description

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b558006d98b7b0b730027be0ee98973dd10ee0d

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable ext4 journaling (NOT RECOMMENDED)

linux

Mount ext4 filesystems with 'nodelalloc' and 'data=writeback' options to reduce journaling activity, but this significantly impacts filesystem reliability.

mount -o remount,nodelalloc,data=writeback /mount/point

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to minimize attack surface
Implement strict SELinux/AppArmor policies to limit filesystem operations

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and compare with distribution's security advisories. Vulnerable if running unpatched kernel with ext4 support.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version matches patched version from distribution security advisory and check that system remains stable during filesystem operations.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in /var/log/messages or journalctl
Filesystem corruption errors
Unexpected system reboots

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "double free")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-49983

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-415

Published: October 21, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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