CVE-2024-40937 gve: Clear napi->skb before dev_kfree_skb_any()

What is CVE-2024-40937?

CVE-2024-40937 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 12 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

gve: Clear napi->skb before dev_kfree_skb_any()

gve_rx_free_skb incorrectly leaves napi->skb referencing an skb after it is freed with dev_kfree_skb_any(). This can result in a subsequent call to napi_get_frags returning a dangling pointer.

Fix this by clearing napi->skb before the skb is freed.

Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-40937?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2024-40937?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2024-40937 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-40937 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

• CVE-2026-53266 Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2013-6282 Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2022-0185 Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2013-2094 Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2026-53362 Linux Kernel Unspecified Exploited High 7.8

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as BELL-CVE-2024-40937, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-40937, GHSA-wcgf-w2rg-3g4r, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-40937.