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

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

- **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:** 4 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-44981, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-44981, GHSA-5fw5-93q4-68pf, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-44981

## 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 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-44981?

It affects 1 product.


Products: 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.

## 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-2024-44981 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-44981 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-2024-44981/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44981/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-44981
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-44981
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-44981

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44981/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.