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CVE Record

CVE-2024-57996: net_sched: sch_sfq: don't allow 1 packet limit

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net_sched: sch_sfq: don't allow 1 packet limit The current implementation does not work correctly with a limit of 1. iproute2 actually checks for this and this patch adds the check in kernel as well. This fixes the following syzkaller reported crash: UBSAN: array-index-out-of-bounds in net/sched/sch_sfq.c:210:6 index 65535 is out of range for type 'struct sfq_head[128]' CPU: 0 PID: 2569 Comm: syz-executor101 Not tainted 5.10.0-smp-DEV #1 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 09/13/2024 Call Trace: __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:79 [inline] dump_stack+0x125/0x19f lib/dump_stack.c:120 ubsan_epilogue lib/ubsan.c:148 [inline] __ubsan_handle_out_of_bounds+0xed/0x120 lib/ubsan.c:347 sfq_link net/sched/sch_sfq.c:210 [inline] sfq_dec+0x528/0x600 net/sched/sch_sfq.c:238 sfq_dequeue+0x39b/0x9d0 net/sched/sch_sfq.c:500 sfq_reset+0x13/0x50 net/sched/sch_sfq.c:525 qdisc_reset+0xfe/0x510 net/sched/sch_generic.c:1026 tbf_reset+0x3d/0x100 net/sched/sch_tbf.c:319 qdisc_reset+0xfe/0x510 net/sched/sch_generic.c:1026 dev_reset_queue+0x8c/0x140 net/sched/sch_generic.c:1296 netdev_for_each_tx_queue include/linux/netdevice.h:2350 [inline] dev_deactivate_many+0x6dc/0xc20 net/sched/sch_generic.c:1362 __dev_close_many+0x214/0x350 net/core/dev.c:1468 dev_close_many+0x207/0x510 net/core/dev.c:1506 unregister_netdevice_many+0x40f/0x16b0 net/core/dev.c:10738 unregister_netdevice_queue+0x2be/0x310 net/core/dev.c:10695 unregister_netdevice include/linux/netdevice.h:2893 [inline] __tun_detach+0x6b6/0x1600 drivers/net/tun.c:689 tun_detach drivers/net/tun.c:705 [inline] tun_chr_close+0x104/0x1b0 drivers/net/tun.c:3640 __fput+0x203/0x840 fs/file_table.c:280 task_work_run+0x129/0x1b0 kernel/task_work.c:185 exit_task_work include/linux/task_work.h:33 [inline] do_exit+0x5ce/0x2200 kernel/exit.c:931 do_group_exit+0x144/0x310 kernel/exit.c:1046 __do_sys_exit_group kernel/exit.c:1057 [inline] __se_sys_exit_group kernel/exit.c:1055 [inline] __x64_sys_exit_group+0x3b/0x40 kernel/exit.c:1055 do_syscall_64+0x6c/0xd0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x61/0xcb RIP: 0033:0x7fe5e7b52479 Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at RIP 0x7fe5e7b5244f. RSP: 002b:00007ffd3c800398 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 00000000000000e7 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 00007fe5e7b52479 RDX: 000000000000003c RSI: 00000000000000e7 RDI: 0000000000000000 RBP: 00007fe5e7bcd2d0 R08: ffffffffffffffb8 R09: 0000000000000014 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 00007fe5e7bcd2d0 R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 00007fe5e7bcdd20 R15: 00007fe5e7b24270 The crash can be also be reproduced with the following (with a tc recompiled to allow for sfq limits of 1): tc qdisc add dev dummy0 handle 1: root tbf rate 1Kbit burst 100b lat 1s ../iproute2-6.9.0/tc/tc qdisc add dev dummy0 handle 2: parent 1:10 sfq limit 1 ifconfig dummy0 up ping -I dummy0 -f -c2 -W0.1 8.8.8.8 sleep 1 Scenario that triggers the crash: * the first packet is sent and queued in TBF and SFQ; qdisc qlen is 1 * TBF dequeues: it peeks from SFQ which moves the packet to the gso_skb list and keeps qdisc qlen set to 1. TBF is out of tokens so it schedules itself for later. * the second packet is sent and TBF tries to queues it to SFQ. qdisc qlen is now 2 and because the SFQ limit is 1 the packet is dropped by SFQ. At this point qlen is 1, and all of the SFQ slots are empty, however q->tail is not NULL. At this point, assuming no more packets are queued, when sch_dequeue runs again it will decrement the qlen for the current empty slot causing an underflow and the subsequent out of bounds access.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2024-57996 is a Linux kernel traffic-control bug that can crash the kernel when SFQ is configured with a one-packet limit. Normal iproute2 already blocks this setting, but the kernel did not. Business urgency is highest where untrusted users or containers can configure network queuing.

Executive priority

Treat as a controlled kernel patching item, not an emergency based on current evidence. Escalate priority for multi-tenant hosts, container platforms, or appliances that delegate network shaping to less-trusted workloads.

Technical view

The bug is in net_sched sch_sfq. An SFQ limit of 1 can leave qdisc state inconsistent after TBF peeks and later drops a packet, causing qlen underflow and an out-of-bounds access in sfq_link/sfq_dec. Kernel stable fixes add validation to reject this limit in-kernel.

Likely exposure

Affected Linux kernels are exposed mainly when a local user, service, or container has permission to configure traffic control qdiscs, such as CAP_NET_ADMIN. Standard iproute2 blocks the bad setting, reducing ordinary exposure.

Exploitation context

The source shows a syzkaller crash and a local reproduction requiring modified tc behavior. KEV is false, and the bundle provides no evidence of active exploitation or remote exploitation.

Researcher notes

The evidence supports denial-of-service via kernel crash under constrained local configuration conditions. The bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, exploit-in-the-wild evidence, or proof of privilege escalation.

Mitigation direction

  • Update to a Linux kernel containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Apply Debian LTS or vendor kernel updates where applicable.
  • Restrict CAP_NET_ADMIN and tc access from untrusted users and containers.
  • Review vendor advisories before applying product-specific mitigations.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Linux kernel versions against the affected version list.
  • Confirm installed kernel includes the sch_sfq limit validation fix.
  • Check container and service configurations for CAP_NET_ADMIN grants.
  • Review qdisc usage for SFQ configurations in managed network setups.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
8

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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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
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.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
2ADP providers
12Source links

Vulnerability timeline

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

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

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  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

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ADP provider summaries

CVECVE Program Container
siemens-SADPADP container
Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2unaffected
LinuxLinux2.6.12, 0, 5.4.297, 5.10.239, 5.15.186, 6.1.129, 6.6.76, 6.12.13, 6.13.2, 6.14affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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