# CVE-2024-53138: net/mlx5e: kTLS, Fix incorrect page refcounting

> Incorrect page refcounting in Linux kernel kTLS handling can lead to use-after-free, potentially causing denial of service or code execution.

- **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:** 4 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-54107, AZL-54135, BELL-CVE-2024-53138, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-53138, GHSA-r8vm-2j4g-7jq3, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-53138

## What is CVE-2024-53138?

CVE-2024-53138 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Dec 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:

net/mlx5e: kTLS, Fix incorrect page refcounting

The kTLS tx handling code is using a mix of get_page() and
page_ref_inc() APIs to increment the page reference. But on the release
path (mlx5e_ktls_tx_handle_resync_dump_comp()), only put_page() is used.

This is an issue when using pages from large folios: the get_page()
references are stored on the folio page while the page_ref_inc()
references are stored directly in the given page. On release the folio
page will be dereferenced too many times.

This was found while doing kTLS testing with sendfile() + ZC when the
served file was read from NFS on a kernel with NFS large folios support
(commit 49b29a573da8 ("nfs: add support for large folios")).

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-53138?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-53138?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-53138 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-53138 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-2024-53138 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-53138 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Dec 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-2024-53138 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-2024-53138/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53138/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-53138
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53138
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-53138

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53138/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.