# CVE-2024-41050: cachefiles: cyclic allocation of msg_id to avoid reuse

> A race condition in the Linux kernel cachefiles module allows a malicious user to cause a system hang by reusing message IDs during object reopening.

- **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:** 29 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-41050, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-41050, GHSA-f68f-787f-7j6w, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2024-41050, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-41050

## What is CVE-2024-41050?

CVE-2024-41050 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 29 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:

cachefiles: cyclic allocation of msg_id to avoid reuse

Reusing the msg_id after a maliciously completed reopen request may cause
a read request to remain unprocessed and result in a hung, as shown below:

       t1       |      t2       |      t3
-------------------------------------------------
cachefiles_ondemand_select_req
 cachefiles_ondemand_object_is_close(A)
 cachefiles_ondemand_set_object_reopening(A)
 queue_work(fscache_object_wq, &info->work)
                ondemand_object_worker
                 cachefiles_ondemand_init_object(A)
                  cachefiles_ondemand_send_req(OPEN)
                    // get msg_id 6
                    wait_for_completion(&req_A->done)
cachefiles_ondemand_daemon_read
 // read msg_id 6 req_A
 cachefiles_ondemand_get_fd
 copy_to_user
                                // Malicious completion msg_id 6
                                copen 6,-1
                                cachefiles_ondemand_copen
                                 complete(&req_A->done)
                                 // will not set the object to close
                                 // because ondemand_id && fd is valid.

                // ondemand_object_worker() is done
                // but the object is still reopening.

                                // new open req_B
                                cachefiles_ondemand_init_object(B)
                                 cachefiles_ondemand_send_req(OPEN)
                                 // reuse msg_id 6
process_open_req
 copen 6,A.size
 // The expected failed copen was executed successfully

Expect copen to fail, and when it does, it closes fd, which sets the
object to close, and then close triggers reopen again. However, due to
msg_id reuse resulting in a successful copen, the anonymous fd is not
closed until the daemon exits. Therefore read requests waiting for reopen
to complete may trigger hung task.

To avoid this issue, allocate the msg_id cyclically to avoid reusing the
msg_id for a very short duration of time.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-41050?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-41050?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-41050 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-41050 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-2024-41050 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-41050 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 29 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-2024-41050 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-2024-41050/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41050/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-41050
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-41050
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-41050

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41050/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.