# CVE-2024-41057: cachefiles: fix slab-use-after-free in cachefiles_withdraw_cookie()

> A use-after-free flaw in the Linux kernel's cachefiles subsystem allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges.

- **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:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-41057, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-41057, GHSA-rqqp-4vhv-fqrg, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-41057

## What is CVE-2024-41057?

CVE-2024-41057 is a high-severity use after free 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: fix slab-use-after-free in cachefiles_withdraw_cookie()

We got the following issue in our fault injection stress test:

==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in cachefiles_withdraw_cookie+0x4d9/0x600
Read of size 8 at addr ffff888118efc000 by task kworker/u78:0/109

CPU: 13 PID: 109 Comm: kworker/u78:0 Not tainted 6.8.0-dirty #566
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 kasan_report+0x93/0xc0
 cachefiles_withdraw_cookie+0x4d9/0x600
 fscache_cookie_state_machine+0x5c8/0x1230
 fscache_cookie_worker+0x91/0x1c0
 process_one_work+0x7fa/0x1800
 [...]

Allocated by task 117:
 kmalloc_trace+0x1b3/0x3c0
 cachefiles_acquire_volume+0xf3/0x9c0
 fscache_create_volume_work+0x97/0x150
 process_one_work+0x7fa/0x1800
 [...]

Freed by task 120301:
 kfree+0xf1/0x2c0
 cachefiles_withdraw_cache+0x3fa/0x920
 cachefiles_put_unbind_pincount+0x1f6/0x250
 cachefiles_daemon_release+0x13b/0x290
 __fput+0x204/0xa00
 task_work_run+0x139/0x230
 do_exit+0x87a/0x29b0
 [...]
==================================================================

Following is the process that triggers the issue:

           p1                |             p2
------------------------------------------------------------
                              fscache_begin_lookup
                               fscache_begin_volume_access
                                fscache_cache_is_live(fscache_cache)
cachefiles_daemon_release
 cachefiles_put_unbind_pincount
  cachefiles_daemon_unbind
   cachefiles_withdraw_cache
    fscache_withdraw_cache
     fscache_set_cache_state(cache, FSCACHE_CACHE_IS_WITHDRAWN);
    cachefiles_withdraw_objects(cache)
    fscache_wait_for_objects(fscache)
      atomic_read(&fscache_cache->object_count) == 0
                              fscache_perform_lookup
                               cachefiles_lookup_cookie
                                cachefiles_alloc_object
                                 refcount_set(&object->ref, 1);
                                 object->volume = volume
                                 fscache_count_object(vcookie->cache);
                                  atomic_inc(&fscache_cache->object_count)
    cachefiles_withdraw_volumes
     cachefiles_withdraw_volume
      fscache_withdraw_volume
      __cachefiles_free_volume
       kfree(cachefiles_volume)
                              fscache_cookie_state_machine
                               cachefiles_withdraw_cookie
                                cache = object->volume->cache;
                                // cachefiles_volume UAF !!!

After setting FSCACHE_CACHE_IS_WITHDRAWN, wait for all the cookie lookups
to complete first, and then wait for fscache_cache->object_count == 0 to
avoid the cookie exiting after the volume has been freed and triggering
the above issue. Therefore call fscache_withdraw_volume() before calling
cachefiles_withdraw_objects().

This way, after setting FSCACHE_CACHE_IS_WITHDRAWN, only the following two
cases will occur:
1) fscache_begin_lookup fails in fscache_begin_volume_access().
2) fscache_withdraw_volume() will ensure that fscache_count_object() has
   been executed before calling fscache_wait_for_objects().

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-41057?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-41057?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-41057 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-41057 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-2024-41057 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-41057 is a high-severity use after free 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-2024-41057 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-2024-41057/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41057/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-41057
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-41057
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-41057

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41057/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.