# CVE-2024-50253: bpf: Check the validity of nr_words in bpf_iter_bits_new()

> An integer overflow in the Linux kernel BPF subsystem allows stack corruption, potentially enabling code execution or privilege escalation.

- **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:** 9 Nov 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-50253, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-50253, GHSA-gjpp-3xmc-r9c5, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-50253

## What is CVE-2024-50253?

CVE-2024-50253 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 9 Nov 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:

bpf: Check the validity of nr_words in bpf_iter_bits_new()

Check the validity of nr_words in bpf_iter_bits_new(). Without this
check, when multiplication overflow occurs for nr_bits (e.g., when
nr_words = 0x0400-0001, nr_bits becomes 64), stack corruption may occur
due to bpf_probe_read_kernel_common(..., nr_bytes = 0x2000-0008).

Fix it by limiting the maximum value of nr_words to 511. The value is
derived from the current implementation of BPF memory allocator. To
ensure compatibility if the BPF memory allocator's size limitation
changes in the future, use the helper bpf_mem_alloc_check_size() to
check whether nr_bytes is too larger. And return -E2BIG instead of
-ENOMEM for oversized nr_bytes.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-50253?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-50253?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-50253 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-50253 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-2024-50253 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-50253 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 9 Nov 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-2024-50253 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-2024-50253/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50253/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-50253
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-50253
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-50253

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50253/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.