CVE-2024-56644: net/ipv6: release expired exception dst cached in socket
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/ipv6: release expired exception dst cached in socket
Dst objects get leaked in ip6_negative_advice() when this function is
executed for an expired IPv6 route located in the exception table. There
are several conditions that must be fulfilled for the leak to occur:
* an ICMPv6 packet indicating a change of the MTU for the path is received,
resulting in an exception dst being created
* a TCP connection that uses the exception dst for routing packets must
start timing out so that TCP begins retransmissions
* after the exception dst expires, the FIB6 garbage collector must not run
before TCP executes ip6_negative_advice() for the expired exception dst
When TCP executes ip6_negative_advice() for an exception dst that has
expired and if no other socket holds a reference to the exception dst, the
refcount of the exception dst is 2, which corresponds to the increment
made by dst_init() and the increment made by the TCP socket for which the
connection is timing out. The refcount made by the socket is never
released. The refcount of the dst is decremented in sk_dst_reset() but
that decrement is counteracted by a dst_hold() intentionally placed just
before the sk_dst_reset() in ip6_negative_advice(). After
ip6_negative_advice() has finished, there is no other object tied to the
dst. The socket lost its reference stored in sk_dst_cache and the dst is
no longer in the exception table. The exception dst becomes a leaked
object.
As a result of this dst leak, an unbalanced refcount is reported for the
loopback device of a net namespace being destroyed under kernels that do
not contain e5f80fcf869a ("ipv6: give an IPv6 dev to blackhole_netdev"):
unregister_netdevice: waiting for lo to become free. Usage count = 2
Fix the dst leak by removing the dst_hold() in ip6_negative_advice(). The
patch that introduced the dst_hold() in ip6_negative_advice() was
92f1655aa2b22 ("net: fix __dst_negative_advice() race"). But 92f1655aa2b22
merely refactored the code with regards to the dst refcount so the issue
was present even before 92f1655aa2b22. The bug was introduced in
54c1a859efd9f ("ipv6: Don't drop cache route entry unless timer actually
expired.") where the expired cached route is deleted and the sk_dst_cache
member of the socket is set to NULL by calling dst_negative_advice() but
the refcount belonging to the socket is left unbalanced.
The IPv4 version - ipv4_negative_advice() - is not affected by this bug.
When the TCP connection times out ipv4_negative_advice() merely resets the
sk_dst_cache of the socket while decrementing the refcount of the
exception dst.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2024-56644 is a Linux kernel IPv6 networking bug that can leak internal route objects under a narrow timing sequence. The documented impact is resource/reference leakage and possible network namespace teardown hangs. The source bundle does not provide CVSS, confirmed exploitation, or a named workaround.
Executive priority
Treat as a routine-to-near-term kernel maintenance item, higher for IPv6-heavy or containerized infrastructure. There is no sourced evidence of active exploitation, but kernel resource leaks can affect availability and should not be left indefinitely.
Technical view
The bug is in IPv6 negative route advice handling. When an expired IPv6 exception dst is cached by a TCP socket, ip6_negative_advice() can drop the socket cache without releasing the socket’s dst reference. IPv4 is stated as unaffected. Linux stable commits remove the extra dst_hold() behavior.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Linux systems running affected kernels with IPv6 enabled, especially environments using TCP workloads and network namespaces or containers. The required conditions are specific: ICMPv6 MTU change, TCP retransmission timeout, expired exception route, and garbage collection timing.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show active exploitation, public exploit activity, or KEV listing. The described trigger path depends on network and timing conditions, but the bundle only documents the kernel bug and fixes, not attacker-controlled reliability or practical exploitation.
Researcher notes
The CVE identifies introducer commit 54c1a859efd9 and several stable fixes. The affected-version data is broad and somewhat commit-oriented, so validation should rely on exact vendor kernel package status or commit presence, not only upstream version strings.
Mitigation direction
Apply the relevant Linux stable or distribution kernel update.
Prioritize IPv6-enabled servers, container hosts, and shared Linux infrastructure.
Review Debian LTS advisories if running Debian-packaged kernels.
Reboot or live-patch as required so the fixed kernel is active.
If updates are unavailable, check vendor guidance; no workaround is named in sources.
Validation and detection
Inventory running kernel versions across Linux hosts.
Confirm whether deployed kernels include the listed stable fix commits.
Check distribution security advisories for patched package versions.
Review logs for netdevice teardown messages referencing lo usage counts.
Verify IPv6-enabled container or network namespace hosts are included in scope.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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CVE-2024-56644 mapping review
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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.
0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
1ADP providers
10Source links
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.
Dec 27, 2024, 15:02 UTC (UTC+00:00)
CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.