# CVE-2024-45022: mm/vmalloc: fix page mapping if vm_area_alloc_pages() with high order fallback to order 0

> A flaw in Linux kernel vmalloc allows memory corruption when high-order allocations fail, potentially enabling code execution or privilege escalation.

- **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:** 11 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-49218, BELL-CVE-2024-45022, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-45022, GHSA-7fv4-rmp7-g4qh, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-45022

## What is CVE-2024-45022?

CVE-2024-45022 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 11 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:

mm/vmalloc: fix page mapping if vm_area_alloc_pages() with high order fallback to order 0

The __vmap_pages_range_noflush() assumes its argument pages** contains
pages with the same page shift.  However, since commit e9c3cda4d86e ("mm,
vmalloc: fix high order __GFP_NOFAIL allocations"), if gfp_flags includes
__GFP_NOFAIL with high order in vm_area_alloc_pages() and page allocation
failed for high order, the pages** may contain two different page shifts
(high order and order-0).  This could lead __vmap_pages_range_noflush() to
perform incorrect mappings, potentially resulting in memory corruption.

Users might encounter this as follows (vmap_allow_huge = true, 2M is for
PMD_SIZE):

kvmalloc(2M, __GFP_NOFAIL|GFP_X)
    __vmalloc_node_range_noprof(vm_flags=VM_ALLOW_HUGE_VMAP)
        vm_area_alloc_pages(order=9) ---> order-9 allocation failed and fallback to order-0
            vmap_pages_range()
                vmap_pages_range_noflush()
                    __vmap_pages_range_noflush(page_shift = 21) ----> wrong mapping happens

We can remove the fallback code because if a high-order allocation fails,
__vmalloc_node_range_noprof() will retry with order-0.  Therefore, it is
unnecessary to fallback to order-0 here.  Therefore, fix this by removing
the fallback code.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-45022?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-45022?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-45022 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-45022 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-2024-45022 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-45022 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 11 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-2024-45022 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-2024-45022/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45022/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-45022
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-45022
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-45022

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45022/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
