Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux kernel file-system helper can access a cached directory entry without the required read-copy-update protection, creating a use-after-free risk. A local, low-privileged user may be able to cause serious confidentiality, integrity, or availability impact. The supplied score is 7.8, high severity.
Executive priority
Prioritize internet-facing multi-user hosts, shared compute, and systems running untrusted workloads. This is not described as remotely exploitable, but its low-privilege local requirements and potentially complete security impact justify prompt patching during the next expedited maintenance cycle.
Technical view
get_stashed_dentry() dereferences a stashed dentry without first holding the required RCU read lock. A concurrent lifecycle change can therefore expose freed memory. The kernel fix replaces READ_ONCE() with rcu_dereference(), clarifying and enforcing the expected RCU protection and enabling lock-dependency checking.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Linux systems running affected kernel builds where an unprivileged local user can reach the vulnerable libfs behavior. The bundle lists affected releases around 6.9 through 6.11, but its flattened version representation is ambiguous; confirm exact distribution package status through vendor guidance.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector indicates local access, low complexity, low privileges, and no user interaction, with potentially high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. The bundle states KEV is false and provides no evidence of active exploitation or a publicly available exploit.
Researcher notes
The key defect is missing RCU-safe dereferencing around a stashed dentry, producing a race-dependent use-after-free condition. The supplied data names no CWE and does not establish practical exploitability. Exact vulnerable and fixed release boundaries should be resolved from the referenced commits and distribution advisories.
Mitigation direction
- Install a vendor-supported kernel containing the fix referenced by the supplied stable-kernel commits.
- Reboot into the updated kernel; installing a package alone does not replace the running kernel.
- If updates are unavailable, consult the Linux distribution vendor for supported mitigations and affected-build guidance.
- Restrict unnecessary local accounts and workloads until affected systems are updated.
Validation and detection
- Record each system's running kernel version, distribution, architecture, and package build.
- Compare package builds with the distribution's CVE advisory or fixed-kernel guidance.
- Confirm the installed kernel contains the applicable referenced stable-kernel fix.
- After rebooting, verify the running kernel is the remediated build.
- Review local-access controls and investigate unexplained kernel crashes around affected file-system activity.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2024-46801 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03e2a1209a83a380df34a72f7d6d1bc6c74132c7CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e32c25b58b945f976435bbe51f39b32d714052eCVE reference, Linux
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.