# CVE-2024-39490: ipv6: sr: fix missing sk_buff release in seg6_input_core

> A memory leak in the Linux kernel's IPv6 Segment Routing input path allows attackers to cause a denial of service by exhausting system memory.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-39490, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-39490, GHSA-28xh-chph-8x29, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2024-39490, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-39490

## What is CVE-2024-39490?

CVE-2024-39490 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 10 Jul 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:

ipv6: sr: fix missing sk_buff release in seg6_input_core

The seg6_input() function is responsible for adding the SRH into a
packet, delegating the operation to the seg6_input_core(). This function
uses the skb_cow_head() to ensure that there is sufficient headroom in
the sk_buff for accommodating the link-layer header.
In the event that the skb_cow_header() function fails, the
seg6_input_core() catches the error but it does not release the sk_buff,
which will result in a memory leak.

This issue was introduced in commit af3b5158b89d ("ipv6: sr: fix BUG due
to headroom too small after SRH push") and persists even after commit
7a3f5b0de364 ("netfilter: add netfilter hooks to SRv6 data plane"),
where the entire seg6_input() code was refactored to deal with netfilter
hooks.

The proposed patch addresses the identified memory leak by requiring the
seg6_input_core() function to release the sk_buff in the event that
skb_cow_head() fails.

Weakness: CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-39490?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-39490?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-39490 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-39490 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-39490 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-39490 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 10 Jul 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-2024-39490 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2024-39490/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-39490/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-39490
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-39490
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-39490

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-39490/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.