CVE-2024-14027 xattr: switch to CLASS(fd)
An unprivileged local user can cause kernel memory exhaustion by triggering a file reference leak in the fremovexattr syscall error path.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2024-14027?
CVE-2024-14027 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 9 Mar 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
fs/xattr: missing fdput() in fremovexattr error path
In the Linux kernel, the fremovexattr() syscall calls fdget() to acquire a file reference but returns early without calling fdput() when strncpy_from_user() fails on the name argument. In multi-threaded processes where fdget() takes the slow path, this permanently leaks one file reference per call, pinning the struct file and associated kernel objects in memory. An unprivileged local user can exploit this to cause kernel memory exhaustion. The issue was inadvertently fixed by commit a71874379ec8 ("xattr: switch to CLASS(fd)").
Weakness: CWE-401
Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-14027?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2024-14027?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2024-14027 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-14027 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Public exploit code: 1 proofs of concept on GitHub.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as AZL-79538, BELL-CVE-2024-14027, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-14027, GHSA-h9jc-64qv-h9cg, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2024-14027, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2024-14027 and 4 more.