CVE-2024-56631 scsi: sg: Fix slab-use-after-free read in sg_release()

What is CVE-2024-56631?

CVE-2024-56631 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 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:

scsi: sg: Fix slab-use-after-free read in sg_release()

Fix a use-after-free bug in sg_release(), detected by syzbot with KASAN:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in lock_release+0x151/0xa30 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5838 __mutex_unlock_slowpath+0xe2/0x750 kernel/locking/mutex.c:912 sg_release+0x1f4/0x2e0 drivers/scsi/sg.c:407

In sg_release(), the function kref_put(&sfp->f_ref, sg_remove_sfp) is called before releasing the open_rel_lock mutex. The kref_put() call may decrement the reference count of sfp to zero, triggering its cleanup through sg_remove_sfp(). This cleanup includes scheduling deferred work via sg_remove_sfp_usercontext(), which ultimately frees sfp.

After kref_put(), sg_release() continues to unlock open_rel_lock and may reference sfp or sdp. If sfp has already been freed, this results in a slab-use-after-free error.

Move the kref_put(&sfp->f_ref, sg_remove_sfp) call after unlocking the open_rel_lock mutex. This ensures:

- No references to sfp or sdp occur after the reference count is decremented.

- Cleanup functions such as sg_remove_sfp() and sg_remove_sfp_usercontext() can safely execute without impacting the mutex handling in sg_release().

The fix has been tested and validated by syzbot. This patch closes the bug reported at the following syzkaller link and ensures proper sequencing of resource cleanup and mutex operations, eliminating the risk of use-after-free errors in sg_release().

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-56631?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2024-56631?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2024-56631 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-56631 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

• CVE-2026-53266 Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2013-6282 Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2022-0185 Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2013-2094 Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2026-53362 Linux Kernel Unspecified Exploited High 7.8

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as AZL-55180, AZL-55229, BELL-CVE-2024-56631, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-56631, GHSA-jp72-5x8f-phqc, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-56631.