# CVE-2024-56640: net/smc: fix LGR and link use-after-free issue

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SMC protocol allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code via race conditions.

- **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:** 27 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-55527, AZL-55561, BELL-CVE-2024-56640, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-56640, GHSA-mxwc-7773-pqqc, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2024-56640, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-56640

## What is CVE-2024-56640?

CVE-2024-56640 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 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/smc: fix LGR and link use-after-free issue

We encountered a LGR/link use-after-free issue, which manifested as
the LGR/link refcnt reaching 0 early and entering the clear process,
making resource access unsafe.

 refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.
 WARNING: CPU: 14 PID: 107447 at lib/refcount.c:25 refcount_warn_saturate+0x9c/0x140
 Workqueue: events smc_lgr_terminate_work [smc]
 Call trace:
  refcount_warn_saturate+0x9c/0x140
  __smc_lgr_terminate.part.45+0x2a8/0x370 [smc]
  smc_lgr_terminate_work+0x28/0x30 [smc]
  process_one_work+0x1b8/0x420
  worker_thread+0x158/0x510
  kthread+0x114/0x118

or

 refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free.
 WARNING: CPU: 6 PID: 93140 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xf0/0x140
 Workqueue: smc_hs_wq smc_listen_work [smc]
 Call trace:
  refcount_warn_saturate+0xf0/0x140
  smcr_link_put+0x1cc/0x1d8 [smc]
  smc_conn_free+0x110/0x1b0 [smc]
  smc_conn_abort+0x50/0x60 [smc]
  smc_listen_find_device+0x75c/0x790 [smc]
  smc_listen_work+0x368/0x8a0 [smc]
  process_one_work+0x1b8/0x420
  worker_thread+0x158/0x510
  kthread+0x114/0x118

It is caused by repeated release of LGR/link refcnt. One suspect is that
smc_conn_free() is called repeatedly because some smc_conn_free() from
server listening path are not protected by sock lock.

e.g.

Calls under socklock        | smc_listen_work
-------------------------------------------------------
lock_sock(sk)               | smc_conn_abort
smc_conn_free               | \- smc_conn_free
\- smcr_link_put            |    \- smcr_link_put (duplicated)
release_sock(sk)

So here add sock lock protection in smc_listen_work() path, making it
exclusive with other connection operations.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-56640?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-56640?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-56640 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-56640 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-2024-56640 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-56640 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 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-2024-56640 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-2024-56640/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56640/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-56640
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-56640
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-56640

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56640/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.