# CVE-2024-49884: ext4: fix slab-use-after-free in ext4_split_extent_at()

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel ext4 filesystem allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code via crafted filesystem operations.

- **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:** 21 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-51527, BELL-CVE-2024-49884, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-49884, GHSA-gr6g-pg36-368m, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-49884

## What is CVE-2024-49884?

CVE-2024-49884 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 21 Oct 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:

ext4: fix slab-use-after-free in ext4_split_extent_at()

We hit the following use-after-free:

==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ext4_split_extent_at+0xba8/0xcc0
Read of size 2 at addr ffff88810548ed08 by task kworker/u20:0/40
CPU: 0 PID: 40 Comm: kworker/u20:0 Not tainted 6.9.0-dirty #724
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 kasan_report+0x93/0xc0
 ext4_split_extent_at+0xba8/0xcc0
 ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0x18f/0x500
 ext4_split_convert_extents+0x275/0x750
 ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x73e/0x1580
 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0xe20/0x2dc0
 ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700
 ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70
[...]

Allocated by task 40:
 __kmalloc_noprof+0x1ac/0x480
 ext4_find_extent+0xf3b/0x1e70
 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x188/0x2dc0
 ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700
 ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70
[...]

Freed by task 40:
 kfree+0xf1/0x2b0
 ext4_find_extent+0xa71/0x1e70
 ext4_ext_insert_extent+0xa22/0x3260
 ext4_split_extent_at+0x3ef/0xcc0
 ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0x18f/0x500
 ext4_split_convert_extents+0x275/0x750
 ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x73e/0x1580
 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0xe20/0x2dc0
 ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700
 ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70
[...]
==================================================================

The flow of issue triggering is as follows:

ext4_split_extent_at
  path = *ppath
  ext4_ext_insert_extent(ppath)
    ext4_ext_create_new_leaf(ppath)
      ext4_find_extent(orig_path)
        path = *orig_path
        read_extent_tree_block
          // return -ENOMEM or -EIO
        ext4_free_ext_path(path)
          kfree(path)
        *orig_path = NULL
  a. If err is -ENOMEM:
  ext4_ext_dirty(path + path->p_depth)
  // path use-after-free !!!
  b. If err is -EIO and we have EXT_DEBUG defined:
  ext4_ext_show_leaf(path)
    eh = path[depth].p_hdr
    // path also use-after-free !!!

So when trying to zeroout or fix the extent length, call ext4_find_extent()
to update the path.

In addition we use *ppath directly as an ext4_ext_show_leaf() input to
avoid possible use-after-free when EXT_DEBUG is defined, and to avoid
unnecessary path updates.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-49884?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-49884?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-49884 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-49884 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-49884 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-49884 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 21 Oct 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-2024-49884 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. 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-2024-49884/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49884/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-49884
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-49884
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49884

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49884/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.