Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-1086

Memory Safety in Linux Kernel 3.15 – 5.15.149

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRansomware-linkedMemory Safety
Published
31 January 2024
Modified
07 August 2026
KEV Added
30 May 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.28 98th percentile
Risk Priority 83 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-1086 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203); ranked in the top 2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-8 (Security and Privacy Engineering Principles) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netfilter nf_tables component stems from nft_verdict_init() permitting positive values as drop errors within hook verdicts. This condition triggers a double free in nf_hook_slow() when NF_DROP is issued with an error that resembles NF_ACCEPT, affecting unpatched kernel versions and enabling local privilege escalation.

Local attackers with existing low-privileged access on a system can leverage the flaw to corrupt kernel memory and obtain full root privileges, resulting in complete control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host.

Mitigation guidance centers on upgrading past commit f342de4e2f33e0e39165d8639387aa6c19dff660. Multiple technical analyses of the issue and potential exploitation approaches have been shared in public security mailing lists.

The EPSS score sits at a current value of 0.8455 near its recorded peak of 0.8675.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netfilter: nf_tables component can be exploited to achieve local privilege escalation. The nft_verdict_init() function allows positive values as drop error within the hook verdict, and hence the nf_hook_slow() function can cause a double…

more

free vulnerability when NF_DROP is issued with a drop error which resembles NF_ACCEPT. We recommend upgrading past commit f342de4e2f33e0e39165d8639387aa6c19dff660.

CWE(s)
KEV Date Added
30 May 2024

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access Credential Access
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to collect credentials.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-4004Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2019-0211Same product: Debian Debian Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2023-3111Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2019-2215Same product: Debian Debian Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2023-1989Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2023-4813Same product: Fedoraproject Fedora
CVE-2023-33250Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2023-3390Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2023-1838Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2023-3141Same product: Debian Debian Linux

Affected Assets

netapp
h300s firmware
all versions
netapp
h500s firmware
all versions
netapp
h700s firmware
all versions
netapp
h410s firmware
all versions
netapp
h410c firmware
all versions
netapp
bootstrap os
all versions
linux
linux kernel
6.8 · 3.15 — 5.15.149 · 6.1 — 6.1.76 · 6.2 — 6.6.15
fedoraproject
fedora
39
redhat
enterprise linux desktop
7.0
redhat
enterprise linux for ibm z systems
7.0_s390x
+8 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.4.3

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation can discover use-after-free bugs through dynamic analysis or fuzzing.

Engineering principles can require memory-safe constructs or languages that structurally avoid introducing use-after-free.

Process isolation confines the blast radius of use-after-free memory corruption to a single execution domain.

Memory protection controls limit exploitation impact by blocking unauthorized code execution from dangling pointers.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly incorporate memory-safety tooling and reviews that prevent most use-after-free defects.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability identification processes can discover use-after-free issues via scanning or analysis but do not prevent their introduction.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Routine patching removes known use-after-free instances after they have been introduced in released software.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing in development can detect use-after-free bugs before release.

prevents

Secure SDLC mandates memory-safety practices that reduce use-after-free defects.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify memory-management rules that mitigate use-after-free.

prevents

Secure architecture principles include memory-safety design choices that limit use-after-free exposure.

prevents

Secure coding standards directly prescribe avoidance of use-after-free patterns.

prevents

Change-management processes help ensure memory-safety fixes are deployed consistently.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248592 OL 8 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. prevents CWE-416
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
  • V-230279 RHEL 8 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. prevents CWE-416
RHEL 9 (1 rule)
  • V-257794 RHEL 9 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. prevents CWE-416

References