CVE-2024-44981 workqueue: Fix UBSAN 'subtraction overflow' error in shift_and_mask()

Medium 5.5 Published 4 Sep 2024 Updated 11 May 2026

An integer subtraction overflow in the Linux kernel workqueue subsystem causes a kernel panic, leading to denial of service.

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

What is CVE-2024-44981?

CVE-2024-44981 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Sep 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:

workqueue: Fix UBSAN 'subtraction overflow' error in shift_and_mask()

UBSAN reports the following 'subtraction overflow' error when booting in a virtual machine on Android:

| Internal error: UBSAN: integer subtraction overflow: 00000000f2005515 [#1] PREEMPT SMP | Modules linked in: | CPU: 0 PID: 1 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 6.10.0-00006-g3cbe9e5abd46-dirty #4 | Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) | pstate: 600000c5 (nZCv daIF -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) | pc : cancel_delayed_work+0x34/0x44 | lr : cancel_delayed_work+0x2c/0x44 | sp : ffff80008002ba60 | x29: ffff80008002ba60 x28: 0000000000000000 x27: 0000000000000000 | x26: 0000000000000000 x25: 0000000000000000 x24: 0000000000000000 | x23: 0000000000000000 x22: 0000000000000000 x21: ffff1f65014cd3c0 | x20: ffffc0e84c9d0da0 x19: ffffc0e84cab3558 x18: ffff800080009058 | x17: 00000000247ee1f8 x16: 00000000247ee1f8 x15: 00000000bdcb279d | x14: 0000000000000001 x13: 0000000000000075 x12: 00000a0000000000 | x11: ffff1f6501499018 x10: 00984901651fffff x9 : ffff5e7cc35af000 | x8 : 0000000000000001 x7 : 3d4d455453595342 x6 : 000000004e514553 | x5 : ffff1f6501499265 x4 : ffff1f650ff60b10 x3 : 0000000000000620 | x2 : ffff80008002ba78 x1 : 0000000000000000 x0 : 0000000000000000 | Call trace: | cancel_delayed_work+0x34/0x44 | deferred_probe_extend_timeout+0x20/0x70 | driver_register+0xa8/0x110 | __platform_driver_register+0x28/0x3c | syscon_init+0x24/0x38 | do_one_initcall+0xe4/0x338 | do_initcall_level+0xac/0x178 | do_initcalls+0x5c/0xa0 | do_basic_setup+0x20/0x30 | kernel_init_freeable+0x8c/0xf8 | kernel_init+0x28/0x1b4 | ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 | Code: f9000fbf 97fffa2f 39400268 37100048 (d42aa2a0) | ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- | Kernel panic - not syncing: UBSAN: integer subtraction overflow: Fatal exception

This is due to shift_and_mask() using a signed immediate to construct the mask and being called with a shift of 31 (WORK_OFFQ_POOL_SHIFT) so that it ends up decrementing from INT_MIN.

Use an unsigned constant '1U' to generate the mask in shift_and_mask().

Weakness: CWE-190

Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-44981?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2024-44981?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2024-44981 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-44981 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as BELL-CVE-2024-44981, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-44981, GHSA-5fw5-93q4-68pf, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-44981.