# CVE-2024-43834: xdp: fix invalid wait context of page_pool_destroy()

> A race condition in the Linux kernel XDP subsystem causes an invalid wait context warning and potential system instability when destroying page pools.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 17 Aug 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-51980, BELL-CVE-2024-43834, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-43834, GHSA-rh82-rm8r-5cfp, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-43834

## What is CVE-2024-43834?

CVE-2024-43834 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 17 Aug 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:

xdp: fix invalid wait context of page_pool_destroy()

If the driver uses a page pool, it creates a page pool with
page_pool_create().
The reference count of page pool is 1 as default.
A page pool will be destroyed only when a reference count reaches 0.
page_pool_destroy() is used to destroy page pool, it decreases a
reference count.
When a page pool is destroyed, ->disconnect() is called, which is
mem_allocator_disconnect().
This function internally acquires mutex_lock().

If the driver uses XDP, it registers a memory model with
xdp_rxq_info_reg_mem_model().
The xdp_rxq_info_reg_mem_model() internally increases a page pool
reference count if a memory model is a page pool.
Now the reference count is 2.

To destroy a page pool, the driver should call both page_pool_destroy()
and xdp_unreg_mem_model().
The xdp_unreg_mem_model() internally calls page_pool_destroy().
Only page_pool_destroy() decreases a reference count.

If a driver calls page_pool_destroy() then xdp_unreg_mem_model(), we
will face an invalid wait context warning.
Because xdp_unreg_mem_model() calls page_pool_destroy() with
rcu_read_lock().
The page_pool_destroy() internally acquires mutex_lock().

Splat looks like:
=============================
[ BUG: Invalid wait context ]
6.10.0-rc6+ #4 Tainted: G W
-----------------------------
ethtool/1806 is trying to lock:
ffffffff90387b90 (mem_id_lock){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150
other info that might help us debug this:
context-{5:5}
3 locks held by ethtool/1806:
stack backtrace:
CPU: 0 PID: 1806 Comm: ethtool Tainted: G W 6.10.0-rc6+ #4 f916f41f172891c800f2fed
Hardware name: ASUS System Product Name/PRIME Z690-P D4, BIOS 0603 11/01/2021
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x7e/0xc0
__lock_acquire+0x1681/0x4de0
? _printk+0x64/0xe0
? __pfx_mark_lock.part.0+0x10/0x10
? __pfx___lock_acquire+0x10/0x10
lock_acquire+0x1b3/0x580
? mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150
? __wake_up_klogd.part.0+0x16/0xc0
? __pfx_lock_acquire+0x10/0x10
? dump_stack_lvl+0x91/0xc0
__mutex_lock+0x15c/0x1690
? mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150
? __pfx_prb_read_valid+0x10/0x10
? mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150
? __pfx_llist_add_batch+0x10/0x10
? console_unlock+0x193/0x1b0
? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0xbe/0x140
? __pfx___mutex_lock+0x10/0x10
? tick_nohz_tick_stopped+0x16/0x90
? __irq_work_queue_local+0x1e5/0x330
? irq_work_queue+0x39/0x50
? __wake_up_klogd.part.0+0x79/0xc0
? mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150
mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150
? __pfx_mem_allocator_disconnect+0x10/0x10
? mark_held_locks+0xa5/0xf0
? rcu_is_watching+0x11/0xb0
page_pool_release+0x36e/0x6d0
page_pool_destroy+0xd7/0x440
xdp_unreg_mem_model+0x1a7/0x2a0
? __pfx_xdp_unreg_mem_model+0x10/0x10
? kfree+0x125/0x370
? bnxt_free_ring.isra.0+0x2eb/0x500
? bnxt_free_mem+0x5ac/0x2500
xdp_rxq_info_unreg+0x4a/0xd0
bnxt_free_mem+0x1356/0x2500
bnxt_close_nic+0xf0/0x3b0
? __pfx_bnxt_close_nic+0x10/0x10
? ethnl_parse_bit+0x2c6/0x6d0
? __pfx___nla_validate_parse+0x10/0x10
? __pfx_ethnl_parse_bit+0x10/0x10
bnxt_set_features+0x2a8/0x3e0
__netdev_update_features+0x4dc/0x1370
? ethnl_parse_bitset+0x4ff/0x750
? __pfx_ethnl_parse_bitset+0x10/0x10
? __pfx___netdev_update_features+0x10/0x10
? mark_held_locks+0xa5/0xf0
? _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore+0x42/0x70
? __pm_runtime_resume+0x7d/0x110
ethnl_set_features+0x32d/0xa20

To fix this problem, it uses rhashtable_lookup_fast() instead of
rhashtable_lookup() with rcu_read_lock().
Using xa without rcu_read_lock() here is safe.
xa is freed by __xdp_mem_allocator_rcu_free() and this is called by
call_rcu() of mem_xa_remove().
The mem_xa_remove() is called by page_pool_destroy() if a reference
count reaches 0.
The xa is already protected by the reference count mechanism well in the
control plane.
So removing rcu_read_lock() for page_pool_destroy() is safe.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-43834?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-43834?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-43834 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-43834 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-2024-43834 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-43834 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 17 Aug 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-2024-43834 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-2024-43834/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43834/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-43834
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-43834
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-43834

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43834/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.