# CVE-2024-46796: smb: client: fix double put of @cfile in smb2_set_path_size()

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel CIFS client allows a local attacker to cause a system crash via specific file operations.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-46796, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-46796, GHSA-m8jr-w275-x227, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-46796

## What is CVE-2024-46796?

CVE-2024-46796 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Sep 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

smb: client: fix double put of @cfile in smb2_set_path_size()

If smb2_compound_op() is called with a valid @cfile and returned
-EINVAL, we need to call cifs_get_writable_path() before retrying it
as the reference of @cfile was already dropped by previous call.

This fixes the following KASAN splat when running fstests generic/013
against Windows Server 2022:

  CIFS: Attempting to mount //w22-fs0/scratch
  run fstests generic/013 at 2024-09-02 19:48:59
  ==================================================================
  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200
  Write of size 8 at addr ffff88811f1a3730 by task kworker/3:2/176

  CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 176 Comm: kworker/3:2 Not tainted 6.11.0-rc6 #2
  Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-2.fc40
  04/01/2014
  Workqueue: cifsoplockd cifs_oplock_break [cifs]
  Call Trace:
   <TASK>
   dump_stack_lvl+0x5d/0x80
   ? detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200
   print_report+0x156/0x4d9
   ? detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200
   ? __virt_addr_valid+0x145/0x300
   ? __phys_addr+0x46/0x90
   ? detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200
   kasan_report+0xda/0x110
   ? detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200
   detach_if_pending+0xab/0x200
   timer_delete+0x96/0xe0
   ? __pfx_timer_delete+0x10/0x10
   ? rcu_is_watching+0x20/0x50
   try_to_grab_pending+0x46/0x3b0
   __cancel_work+0x89/0x1b0
   ? __pfx___cancel_work+0x10/0x10
   ? kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
   cifs_close_deferred_file+0x110/0x2c0 [cifs]
   ? __pfx_cifs_close_deferred_file+0x10/0x10 [cifs]
   ? __pfx_down_read+0x10/0x10
   cifs_oplock_break+0x4c1/0xa50 [cifs]
   ? __pfx_cifs_oplock_break+0x10/0x10 [cifs]
   ? lock_is_held_type+0x85/0xf0
   ? mark_held_locks+0x1a/0x90
   process_one_work+0x4c6/0x9f0
   ? find_held_lock+0x8a/0xa0
   ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10
   ? lock_acquired+0x220/0x550
   ? __list_add_valid_or_report+0x37/0x100
   worker_thread+0x2e4/0x570
   ? __kthread_parkme+0xd1/0xf0
   ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10
   kthread+0x17f/0x1c0
   ? kthread+0xda/0x1c0
   ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
   ret_from_fork+0x31/0x60
   ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
   ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
   </TASK>

  Allocated by task 1118:
   kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50
   kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
   __kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0
   cifs_new_fileinfo+0xc8/0x9d0 [cifs]
   cifs_atomic_open+0x467/0x770 [cifs]
   lookup_open.isra.0+0x665/0x8b0
   path_openat+0x4c3/0x1380
   do_filp_open+0x167/0x270
   do_sys_openat2+0x129/0x160
   __x64_sys_creat+0xad/0xe0
   do_syscall_64+0xbb/0x1d0
   entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f

  Freed by task 83:
   kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50
   kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
   kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x70
   poison_slab_object+0xe9/0x160
   __kasan_slab_free+0x32/0x50
   kfree+0xf2/0x300
   process_one_work+0x4c6/0x9f0
   worker_thread+0x2e4/0x570
   kthread+0x17f/0x1c0
   ret_from_fork+0x31/0x60
   ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30

  Last potentially related work creation:
   kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50
   __kasan_record_aux_stack+0xad/0xc0
   insert_work+0x29/0xe0
   __queue_work+0x5ea/0x760
   queue_work_on+0x6d/0x90
   _cifsFileInfo_put+0x3f6/0x770 [cifs]
   smb2_compound_op+0x911/0x3940 [cifs]
   smb2_set_path_size+0x228/0x270 [cifs]
   cifs_set_file_size+0x197/0x460 [cifs]
   cifs_setattr+0xd9c/0x14b0 [cifs]
   notify_change+0x4e3/0x740
   do_truncate+0xfa/0x180
   vfs_truncate+0x195/0x200
   __x64_sys_truncate+0x109/0x150
   do_syscall_64+0xbb/0x1d0
   entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-46796?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-46796?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-46796 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-46796 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-2024-46796 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-46796 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Sep 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-46796 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-2024-46796/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46796/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-46796
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-46796
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-46796

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46796/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.