# CVE-2024-46681: pktgen: use cpus_read_lock() in pg_net_init()

> A race condition in the Linux kernel pktgen module can trigger warnings and potential system instability during network initialization.

- **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:** 13 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-49328, AZL-49341, BELL-CVE-2024-46681, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-46681, GHSA-5mq7-93mw-h965, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2024-46681, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2024-46681, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2024-46681, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-46681

## What is CVE-2024-46681?

CVE-2024-46681 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 13 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:

pktgen: use cpus_read_lock() in pg_net_init()

I have seen the WARN_ON(smp_processor_id() != cpu) firing
in pktgen_thread_worker() during tests.

We must use cpus_read_lock()/cpus_read_unlock()
around the for_each_online_cpu(cpu) loop.

While we are at it use WARN_ON_ONCE() to avoid a possible syslog flood.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-46681?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-46681?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-46681 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-46681 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-2024-46681 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-46681 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 13 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-2024-46681 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-2024-46681/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46681/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-46681
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-46681
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-46681

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46681/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.