# CVE-2024-50021: ice: Fix improper handling of refcount in ice_dpll_init_rclk_pins()

> A reference count leak in the Intel ice network driver can lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service.

- **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:** 21 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-50021, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-50021, GHSA-r7rc-x5fw-x42q, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-50021

## What is CVE-2024-50021?

CVE-2024-50021 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, 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:

ice: Fix improper handling of refcount in ice_dpll_init_rclk_pins()

This patch addresses a reference count handling issue in the
ice_dpll_init_rclk_pins() function. The function calls ice_dpll_get_pins(),
which increments the reference count of the relevant resources. However,
if the condition WARN_ON((!vsi || !vsi->netdev)) is met, the function
currently returns an error without properly releasing the resources
acquired by ice_dpll_get_pins(), leading to a reference count leak.

To resolve this, the check has been moved to the top of the function. This
ensures that the function verifies the state before any resources are
acquired, avoiding the need for additional resource management in the
error path.

This bug was identified by an experimental static analysis tool developed
by our team. The tool specializes in analyzing reference count operations
and detecting potential issues where resources are not properly managed.
In this case, the tool flagged the missing release operation as a
potential problem, which led to the development of this patch.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-50021?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-50021?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-50021 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-50021 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-2024-50021 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-50021 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, 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-2024-50021 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-2024-50021/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50021/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-50021
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-50021
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-50021

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50021/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.