# CVE-2024-46781: nilfs2: fix missing cleanup on rollforward recovery error

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's nilfs2 file system allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code during mount-time recovery errors.

- **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:** 18 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-49578, BELL-CVE-2024-46781, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-46781, GHSA-w5jc-3vgp-f4c9, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-46781

## What is CVE-2024-46781?

CVE-2024-46781 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 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:

nilfs2: fix missing cleanup on rollforward recovery error

In an error injection test of a routine for mount-time recovery, KASAN
found a use-after-free bug.

It turned out that if data recovery was performed using partial logs
created by dsync writes, but an error occurred before starting the log
writer to create a recovered checkpoint, the inodes whose data had been
recovered were left in the ns_dirty_files list of the nilfs object and
were not freed.

Fix this issue by cleaning up inodes that have read the recovery data if
the recovery routine fails midway before the log writer starts.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-46781?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-46781?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-46781 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-46781 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-2024-46781 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-46781 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 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-2024-46781 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-2024-46781/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46781/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-46781
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-46781
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-46781

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46781/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.