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CVE Record

CVE-2024-53079: mm/thp: fix deferred split unqueue naming and locking

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/thp: fix deferred split unqueue naming and locking Recent changes are putting more pressure on THP deferred split queues: under load revealing long-standing races, causing list_del corruptions, "Bad page state"s and worse (I keep BUGs in both of those, so usually don't get to see how badly they end up without). The relevant recent changes being 6.8's mTHP, 6.10's mTHP swapout, and 6.12's mTHP swapin, improved swap allocation, and underused THP splitting. Before fixing locking: rename misleading folio_undo_large_rmappable(), which does not undo large_rmappable, to folio_unqueue_deferred_split(), which is what it does. But that and its out-of-line __callee are mm internals of very limited usability: add comment and WARN_ON_ONCEs to check usage; and return a bool to say if a deferred split was unqueued, which can then be used in WARN_ON_ONCEs around safety checks (sparing callers the arcane conditionals in __folio_unqueue_deferred_split()). Just omit the folio_unqueue_deferred_split() from free_unref_folios(), all of whose callers now call it beforehand (and if any forget then bad_page() will tell) - except for its caller put_pages_list(), which itself no longer has any callers (and will be deleted separately). Swapout: mem_cgroup_swapout() has been resetting folio->memcg_data 0 without checking and unqueueing a THP folio from deferred split list; which is unfortunate, since the split_queue_lock depends on the memcg (when memcg is enabled); so swapout has been unqueueing such THPs later, when freeing the folio, using the pgdat's lock instead: potentially corrupting the memcg's list. __remove_mapping() has frozen refcount to 0 here, so no problem with calling folio_unqueue_deferred_split() before resetting memcg_data. That goes back to 5.4 commit 87eaceb3faa5 ("mm: thp: make deferred split shrinker memcg aware"): which included a check on swapcache before adding to deferred queue, but no check on deferred queue before adding THP to swapcache. That worked fine with the usual sequence of events in reclaim (though there were a couple of rare ways in which a THP on deferred queue could have been swapped out), but 6.12 commit dafff3f4c850 ("mm: split underused THPs") avoids splitting underused THPs in reclaim, which makes swapcache THPs on deferred queue commonplace. Keep the check on swapcache before adding to deferred queue? Yes: it is no longer essential, but preserves the existing behaviour, and is likely to be a worthwhile optimization (vmstat showed much more traffic on the queue under swapping load if the check was removed); update its comment. Memcg-v1 move (deprecated): mem_cgroup_move_account() has been changing folio->memcg_data without checking and unqueueing a THP folio from the deferred list, sometimes corrupting "from" memcg's list, like swapout. Refcount is non-zero here, so folio_unqueue_deferred_split() can only be used in a WARN_ON_ONCE to validate the fix, which must be done earlier: mem_cgroup_move_charge_pte_range() first try to split the THP (splitting of course unqueues), or skip it if that fails. Not ideal, but moving charge has been requested, and khugepaged should repair the THP later: nobody wants new custom unqueueing code just for this deprecated case. The 87eaceb3faa5 commit did have the code to move from one deferred list to another (but was not conscious of its unsafety while refcount non-0); but that was removed by 5.6 commit fac0516b5534 ("mm: thp: don't need care deferred split queue in memcg charge move path"), which argued that the existence of a PMD mapping guarantees that the THP cannot be on a deferred list. As above, false in rare cases, and now commonly false. Backport to 6.11 should be straightforward. Earlier backports must take care that other _deferred_list fixes and dependencies are included. There is not a strong case for backports, but they can fix cornercases.

HighCVSS 7.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A Linux kernel locking race can corrupt memory-management lists when transparent huge pages are split, swapped, or moved between memory-control groups. Under load, this may trigger kernel errors, crashes, or potentially broader compromise. Exploitation requires local, low-privileged access; no user interaction is required.

Executive priority

Prioritize remediation on shared Linux hosts where untrusted or low-privileged users can execute code. Treat exposed production and container platforms as urgent, while validating vendor backports before scheduling upgrades. The high impact score warrants timely action, but the sources do not establish active exploitation.

Technical view

CVE-2024-53079 is a CWE-667 improper-locking flaw in transparent huge page deferred-split queues. Swapout or deprecated memcg-v1 charge movement can change folio memory-cgroup data before safely removing the folio from its original queue, causing the wrong lock to be used and potentially corrupting kernel lists. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8.

Likely exposure

Systems using affected Linux kernels are most relevant, particularly those exercising transparent huge pages, swapping, or memory cgroups under load. The supplied metadata identifies affected versions including 5.4, 6.6.62, 6.11.8, and 6.12, but does not clearly express complete version ranges. Confirm exposure against distribution advisories and stable-kernel commits.

Exploitation context

The CVSS vector describes a local attack requiring low privileges, with low complexity and no user interaction. The source reports observed list corruption, bad-page states, and kernel BUG conditions. KEV is false, and the supplied sources provide no evidence of active exploitation or a public exploit.

Researcher notes

The race originates from deferred-split queue membership becoming inconsistent with folio memory-cgroup ownership. Swapout could clear memcg data before unqueueing, selecting a pgdat lock instead of the original memcg lock. The fix unqueues earlier and adds safety checks; memcg-v1 movement instead attempts THP splitting or skips the move. Earlier backports may require dependencies.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply the appropriate vendor or stable-kernel update containing the referenced fix.
  • Confirm distribution backports rather than relying only on the displayed kernel version.
  • Prioritize multi-user, container-hosting, or otherwise locally accessible systems.
  • Review vendor guidance before considering configuration workarounds; none are specified in the sources.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory kernel versions and compare them with distribution-specific CVE advisories and backport records.
  • Verify the installed kernel includes the applicable referenced stable commit.
  • Identify systems using transparent huge pages, swap, and memory cgroups.
  • Review kernel logs for list corruption, bad-page-state reports, or related BUG events.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

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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ATT&CK lookup starting points

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cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-667: Exact CWE lookup

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Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2024-53079 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
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

Official CVE source material

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.

2CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
1ADP providers
4Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

CVSS vector scores

2 official scores

We 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.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
7.8CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Linux
5.5CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H1.83.6CISA-ADP

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7.8High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2024-53079Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

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

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
cvssV3_1other:ssvc
Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux87eaceb3faa59b9b4d940ec9554ce251325d83fe, 87eaceb3faa59b9b4d940ec9554ce251325d83fe, 87eaceb3faa59b9b4d940ec9554ce251325d83feunaffected
LinuxLinux5.4, 0, 6.6.62, 6.11.8, 6.12affected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-667 · source CWE mapping

Improper Locking

Improper Locking represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.