# CVE-2024-44991: tcp: prevent concurrent execution of tcp_sk_exit_batch

> A race condition in the Linux kernel TCP subsystem can cause a kernel warning and potential denial of service during network namespace cleanup.

- **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-2024-44991, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-44991, GHSA-wq9h-7v97-wgcp, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-44991

## What is CVE-2024-44991?

CVE-2024-44991 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:

tcp: prevent concurrent execution of tcp_sk_exit_batch

Its possible that two threads call tcp_sk_exit_batch() concurrently,
once from the cleanup_net workqueue, once from a task that failed to clone
a new netns.  In the latter case, error unwinding calls the exit handlers
in reverse order for the 'failed' netns.

tcp_sk_exit_batch() calls tcp_twsk_purge().
Problem is that since commit b099ce2602d8 ("net: Batch inet_twsk_purge"),
this function picks up twsk in any dying netns, not just the one passed
in via exit_batch list.

This means that the error unwind of setup_net() can "steal" and destroy
timewait sockets belonging to the exiting netns.

This allows the netns exit worker to proceed to call

WARN_ON_ONCE(!refcount_dec_and_test(&net->ipv4.tcp_death_row.tw_refcount));

without the expected 1 -> 0 transition, which then splats.

At same time, error unwind path that is also running inet_twsk_purge()
will splat as well:

WARNING: .. at lib/refcount.c:31 refcount_warn_saturate+0x1ed/0x210
...
 refcount_dec include/linux/refcount.h:351 [inline]
 inet_twsk_kill+0x758/0x9c0 net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c:70
 inet_twsk_deschedule_put net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c:221
 inet_twsk_purge+0x725/0x890 net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c:304
 tcp_sk_exit_batch+0x1c/0x170 net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:3522
 ops_exit_list+0x128/0x180 net/core/net_namespace.c:178
 setup_net+0x714/0xb40 net/core/net_namespace.c:375
 copy_net_ns+0x2f0/0x670 net/core/net_namespace.c:508
 create_new_namespaces+0x3ea/0xb10 kernel/nsproxy.c:110

... because refcount_dec() of tw_refcount unexpectedly dropped to 0.

This doesn't seem like an actual bug (no tw sockets got lost and I don't
see a use-after-free) but as erroneous trigger of debug check.

Add a mutex to force strict ordering: the task that calls tcp_twsk_purge()
blocks other task from doing final _dec_and_test before mutex-owner has
removed all tw sockets of dying netns.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-44991?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-44991?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-44991 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-44991 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-2024-44991 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-44991 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-2024-44991 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-2024-44991/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44991/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-44991
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-44991
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-44991

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44991/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.