CVE-2024-35870: smb: client: fix UAF in smb2_reconnect_server()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
smb: client: fix UAF in smb2_reconnect_server()
The UAF bug is due to smb2_reconnect_server() accessing a session that
is already being teared down by another thread that is executing
__cifs_put_smb_ses(). This can happen when (a) the client has
connection to the server but no session or (b) another thread ends up
setting @ses->ses_status again to something different than
SES_EXITING.
To fix this, we need to make sure to unconditionally set
@ses->ses_status to SES_EXITING and prevent any other threads from
setting a new status while we're still tearing it down.
The following can be reproduced by adding some delay to right after
the ipc is freed in __cifs_put_smb_ses() - which will give
smb2_reconnect_server() worker a chance to run and then accessing
@ses->ipc:
kinit ...
mount.cifs //srv/share /mnt/1 -o sec=krb5,nohandlecache,echo_interval=10
[disconnect srv]
ls /mnt/1 &>/dev/null
sleep 30
kdestroy
[reconnect srv]
sleep 10
umount /mnt/1
...
CIFS: VFS: Verify user has a krb5 ticket and keyutils is installed
CIFS: VFS: \\srv Send error in SessSetup = -126
CIFS: VFS: Verify user has a krb5 ticket and keyutils is installed
CIFS: VFS: \\srv Send error in SessSetup = -126
general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address
0x6b6b6b6b6b6b6b6b: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
CPU: 3 PID: 50 Comm: kworker/3:1 Not tainted 6.9.0-rc2 #1
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-1.fc39
04/01/2014
Workqueue: cifsiod smb2_reconnect_server [cifs]
RIP: 0010:__list_del_entry_valid_or_report+0x33/0xf0
Code: 4f 08 48 85 d2 74 42 48 85 c9 74 59 48 b8 00 01 00 00 00 00 ad
de 48 39 c2 74 61 48 b8 22 01 00 00 00 00 74 69 <48> 8b 01 48 39 f8 75
7b 48 8b 72 08 48 39 c6 0f 85 88 00 00 00 b8
RSP: 0018:ffffc900001bfd70 EFLAGS: 00010a83
RAX: dead000000000122 RBX: ffff88810da53838 RCX: 6b6b6b6b6b6b6b6b
RDX: 6b6b6b6b6b6b6b6b RSI: ffffffffc02f6878 RDI: ffff88810da53800
RBP: ffff88810da53800 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: 0000000000000000
R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: ffff88810c064000
R13: 0000000000000001 R14: ffff88810c064000 R15: ffff8881039cc000
FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff888157c00000(0000)
knlGS:0000000000000000
CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 00007fe3728b1000 CR3: 000000010caa4000 CR4: 0000000000750ef0
PKRU: 55555554
Call Trace:
<TASK>
? die_addr+0x36/0x90
? exc_general_protection+0x1c1/0x3f0
? asm_exc_general_protection+0x26/0x30
? __list_del_entry_valid_or_report+0x33/0xf0
__cifs_put_smb_ses+0x1ae/0x500 [cifs]
smb2_reconnect_server+0x4ed/0x710 [cifs]
process_one_work+0x205/0x6b0
worker_thread+0x191/0x360
? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10
kthread+0xe2/0x110
? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
ret_from_fork+0x34/0x50
? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
</TASK>
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A race in Linux's SMB client can let one kernel worker use a session after another frees it during reconnect and teardown. The demonstrated result is a kernel general-protection fault. Systems mounting SMB/CIFS shares are the relevant population. The supplied scoring marks it critical, but the bundle does not establish active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a prompt patching priority for systems mounting SMB shares, particularly business-critical hosts exposed to connection interruptions. Accelerate normal kernel maintenance and reboot scheduling. The critical score warrants urgency, but it should not be interpreted as evidence of active attacks or demonstrated arbitrary code execution.
Technical view
CVE-2024-35870 is a CWE-416 use-after-free in smb2_reconnect_server(). Concurrent __cifs_put_smb_ses() teardown can free session IPC state while the reconnect worker accesses it. The fix makes SES_EXITING unconditional and prevents concurrent status changes during teardown. The supplied reproduction demonstrates a cifsiod kernel crash under disconnect, authentication-ticket loss, reconnect, and unmount conditions.
Likely exposure
Exposure is concentrated on Linux hosts using the kernel CIFS client to mount SMB shares. The documented trigger involves concurrent session teardown and reconnect; Kerberos-authenticated mounts appear in the reproduction. Hosts not using CIFS/SMB client functionality are unlikely to encounter this path. Exact exposure requires checking distributor backports and the referenced stable commits.
Exploitation context
The supplied bundle marks KEV false, and no cited source reports active exploitation. Evidence demonstrates a reproducible race and kernel crash, not remote compromise, privilege escalation, or data theft. Despite the supplied CVSS 9.8 rating, confidentiality and integrity consequences are not demonstrated by the provided technical description.
Researcher notes
The supplied affected-version data is ambiguous: it lists several releases without explicit range semantics and duplicates a commit identifier. Validate branch-specific fix inclusion using linked commits or distributor advisories. Concrete evidence supports a teardown/reconnect use-after-free and kernel crash; exploitability for confidentiality or integrity impact is not established.
Mitigation direction
Update to a vendor-supported kernel incorporating the applicable stable fix referenced by the CVE record.
Reboot into the updated kernel and confirm the previous kernel is no longer active.
Consult your Linux distributor's advisory for supported packages, backports, and interim mitigations.
Prioritize hosts whose SMB connections may disconnect and reconnect, especially Kerberos-authenticated mounts.
Validation and detection
Inventory running kernel releases and determine whether each distributor build includes a referenced stable fix.
Identify systems using the kernel CIFS client and active or configured SMB mounts.
After updating, verify the patched kernel is running and SMB mounts reconnect normally.
Review kernel logs for CIFS reconnect faults, general-protection faults, or cifsiod worker crashes.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
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cwe · low confidence lookup
CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup
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CWE-416 · source CWE mapping
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.