# CVE-2024-35910: tcp: properly terminate timers for kernel sockets

> A use-after-free vulnerability in Linux kernel TCP timers allows attackers to cause a denial of service by triggering timer execution after network namespace teardown.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 May 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-35910, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-35910, GHSA-f8qw-j52x-qgrm, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-35910

## What is CVE-2024-35910?

CVE-2024-35910 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 19 May 2024. 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:

tcp: properly terminate timers for kernel sockets

We had various syzbot reports about tcp timers firing after
the corresponding netns has been dismantled.

Fortunately Josef Bacik could trigger the issue more often,
and could test a patch I wrote two years ago.

When TCP sockets are closed, we call inet_csk_clear_xmit_timers()
to 'stop' the timers.

inet_csk_clear_xmit_timers() can be called from any context,
including when socket lock is held.
This is the reason it uses sk_stop_timer(), aka del_timer().
This means that ongoing timers might finish much later.

For user sockets, this is fine because each running timer
holds a reference on the socket, and the user socket holds
a reference on the netns.

For kernel sockets, we risk that the netns is freed before
timer can complete, because kernel sockets do not hold
reference on the netns.

This patch adds inet_csk_clear_xmit_timers_sync() function
that using sk_stop_timer_sync() to make sure all timers
are terminated before the kernel socket is released.
Modules using kernel sockets close them in their netns exit()
handler.

Also add sock_not_owned_by_me() helper to get LOCKDEP
support : inet_csk_clear_xmit_timers_sync() must not be called
while socket lock is held.

It is very possible we can revert in the future commit
3a58f13a881e ("net: rds: acquire refcount on TCP sockets")
which attempted to solve the issue in rds only.
(net/smc/af_smc.c and net/mptcp/subflow.c have similar code)

We probably can remove the check_net() tests from
tcp_out_of_resources() and __tcp_close() in the future.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-35910?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-35910?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-35910 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-35910 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-35910 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-35910 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 19 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-35910 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35910/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35910/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-35910
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-35910
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-35910

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35910/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.