# CVE-2024-50039: net/sched: accept TCA_STAB only for root qdisc

> A local attacker can crash the Linux kernel by configuring a specific queue discipline combination, causing a null pointer dereference.

- **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-51449, AZL-51482, BELL-CVE-2024-50039, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-50039, GHSA-mfc2-q3p4-2qjv, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-50039

## What is CVE-2024-50039?

CVE-2024-50039 is a high-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:

net/sched: accept TCA_STAB only for root qdisc

Most qdiscs maintain their backlog using qdisc_pkt_len(skb)
on the assumption it is invariant between the enqueue()
and dequeue() handlers.

Unfortunately syzbot can crash a host rather easily using
a TBF + SFQ combination, with an STAB on SFQ [1]

We can't support TCA_STAB on arbitrary level, this would
require to maintain per-qdisc storage.

[1]
[   88.796496] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
[   88.798611] #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
[   88.799014] #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
[   88.799506] PGD 0 P4D 0
[   88.799829] Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI
[   88.800569] CPU: 14 UID: 0 PID: 2053 Comm: b371744477 Not tainted 6.12.0-rc1-virtme #1117
[   88.801107] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014
[   88.801779] RIP: 0010:sfq_dequeue (net/sched/sch_sfq.c:272 net/sched/sch_sfq.c:499) sch_sfq
[ 88.802544] Code: 0f b7 50 12 48 8d 04 d5 00 00 00 00 48 89 d6 48 29 d0 48 8b 91 c0 01 00 00 48 c1 e0 03 48 01 c2 66 83 7a 1a 00 7e c0 48 8b 3a <4c> 8b 07 4c 89 02 49 89 50 08 48 c7 47 08 00 00 00 00 48 c7 07 00
All code
========
   0:	0f b7 50 12          	movzwl 0x12(%rax),%edx
   4:	48 8d 04 d5 00 00 00 	lea    0x0(,%rdx,8),%rax
   b:	00
   c:	48 89 d6             	mov    %rdx,%rsi
   f:	48 29 d0             	sub    %rdx,%rax
  12:	48 8b 91 c0 01 00 00 	mov    0x1c0(%rcx),%rdx
  19:	48 c1 e0 03          	shl    $0x3,%rax
  1d:	48 01 c2             	add    %rax,%rdx
  20:	66 83 7a 1a 00       	cmpw   $0x0,0x1a(%rdx)
  25:	7e c0                	jle    0xffffffffffffffe7
  27:	48 8b 3a             	mov    (%rdx),%rdi
  2a:*	4c 8b 07             	mov    (%rdi),%r8		<-- trapping instruction
  2d:	4c 89 02             	mov    %r8,(%rdx)
  30:	49 89 50 08          	mov    %rdx,0x8(%r8)
  34:	48 c7 47 08 00 00 00 	movq   $0x0,0x8(%rdi)
  3b:	00
  3c:	48                   	rex.W
  3d:	c7                   	.byte 0xc7
  3e:	07                   	(bad)
	...

Code starting with the faulting instruction
===========================================
   0:	4c 8b 07             	mov    (%rdi),%r8
   3:	4c 89 02             	mov    %r8,(%rdx)
   6:	49 89 50 08          	mov    %rdx,0x8(%r8)
   a:	48 c7 47 08 00 00 00 	movq   $0x0,0x8(%rdi)
  11:	00
  12:	48                   	rex.W
  13:	c7                   	.byte 0xc7
  14:	07                   	(bad)
	...
[   88.803721] RSP: 0018:ffff9a1f892b7d58 EFLAGS: 00000206
[   88.804032] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff9a1f8420c800 RCX: ffff9a1f8420c800
[   88.804560] RDX: ffff9a1f81bc1440 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000000
[   88.805056] RBP: ffffffffc04bb0e0 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: 00000000ff7f9a1f
[   88.805473] R10: 000000000001001b R11: 0000000000009a1f R12: 0000000000000140
[   88.806194] R13: 0000000000000001 R14: ffff9a1f886df400 R15: ffff9a1f886df4ac
[   88.806734] FS:  00007f445601a740(0000) GS:ffff9a2e7fd80000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
[   88.807225] CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
[   88.807672] CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 000000050cc46000 CR4: 00000000000006f0
[   88.808165] Call Trace:
[   88.808459]  <TASK>
[   88.808710] ? __die (arch/x86/kernel/dumpstack.c:421 arch/x86/kernel/dumpstack.c:434)
[   88.809261] ? page_fault_oops (arch/x86/mm/fault.c:715)
[   88.809561] ? exc_page_fault (./arch/x86/include/asm/irqflags.h:26 ./arch/x86/include/asm/irqflags.h:87 ./arch/x86/include/asm/irqflags.h:147 arch/x86/mm/fault.c:1489 arch/x86/mm/fault.c:1539)
[   88.809806] ? asm_exc_page_fault (./arch/x86/include/asm/idtentry.h:623)
[   88.810074] ? sfq_dequeue (net/sched/sch_sfq.c:272 net/sched/sch_sfq.c:499) sch_sfq
[   88.810411] sfq_reset (net/sched/sch_sfq.c:525) sch_sfq
[   88.810671] qdisc_reset (./include/linux/skbuff.h:2135 ./include/linux/skbuff.h:2441 ./include/linux/skbuff.h:3304 ./include/linux/skbuff.h:3310 net/sched/sch_g
---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-50039?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-50039?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-50039 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-50039 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-2024-50039 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-50039 is a high-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-2024-50039 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-2024-50039/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50039/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-50039
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-50039
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-50039

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50039/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
