CVE-2024-35970 Details
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: af_unix: Clear stale u->oob_skb. syzkaller started to report deadlock of unix_gc_lock after commit 4090fa373f0e ("af_unix: Replace garbage collection algorithm."), but it just uncovers the bug that has been there since commit 314001f0bf92 ("af_unix: Add OOB support"). The repro basically does the following. from socket import * from array import array c1, c2 = socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM) c1.sendmsg([b'a'], [(SOL_SOCKET, SCM_RIGHTS, array("i", [c2.fileno()]))], MSG_OOB) c2.recv(1) # blocked as no normal data in recv queue c2.close() # done async and unblock recv() c1.close() # done async and trigger GC A socket sends its file descriptor to itself as OOB data and tries to receive normal data, but finally recv() fails due to async close(). The problem here is wrong handling of OOB skb in manage_oob(). When recvmsg() is called without MSG_OOB, manage_oob() is called to check if the peeked skb is OOB skb. In such a case, manage_oob() pops it out of the receive queue but does not clear unix_sock(sk)->oob_skb. This is wrong in terms of uAPI. Let's say we send "hello" with MSG_OOB, and "world" without MSG_OOB. The 'o' is handled as OOB data. When recv() is called twice without MSG_OOB, the OOB data should be lost. >>> from socket import * >>> c1, c2 = socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0) >>> c1.send(b'hello', MSG_OOB) # 'o' is OOB data 5 >>> c1.send(b'world') 5 >>> c2.recv(5) # OOB data is not received b'hell' >>> c2.recv(5) # OOB date is skipped b'world' >>> c2.recv(5, MSG_OOB) # This should return an error b'o' In the same situation, TCP actually returns -EINVAL for the last recv(). Also, if we do not clear unix_sk(sk)->oob_skb, unix_poll() always set EPOLLPRI even though the data has passed through by previous recv(). To avoid these issues, we must clear unix_sk(sk)->oob_skb when dequeuing it from recv queue. The reason why the old GC did not trigger the deadlock is because the old GC relied on the receive queue to detect the loop. When it is triggered, the socket with OOB data is marked as GC candidate because file refcount == inflight count (1). However, after traversing all inflight sockets, the socket still has a positive inflight count (1), thus the socket is excluded from candidates. Then, the old GC lose the chance to garbage-collect the socket. With the old GC, the repro continues to create true garbage that will never be freed nor detected by kmemleak as it's linked to the global inflight list. That's why we couldn't even notice the issue.
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's AF_UNIX socket implementation has been identified, related to the handling of out-of-band (OOB) data. This issue affects several versions of the Linux kernel and stems from improper management of OOB data in the socket's receive queue. When OOB data is sent, it is not correctly cleared from the socket's state, leading to potential data loss and synchronization issues. The vulnerability can be reproduced by sending OOB data over a socket pair, which then gets blocked waiting for normal data that never arrives due to an asynchronous socket closure. This flaw was introduced in a previous commit that added OOB support but was not properly addressed in subsequent updates.
Users can upgrade to the latest version of the Linux kernel where this vulnerability has been fixed. Instructions for downloading the patched version are available on the official Linux kernel website.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
No CVSS 4.0 data is available for this CVE.
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
CISA-ADP
Assessed May 20, 2024References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-667 | Improper Locking | [email protected] |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| linux linux kernel | >= 5.15, < 5.15.156 >= 5.16, < 6.1.87 >= 6.2, < 6.6.28 >= 6.7, < 6.8.7 6.9 rc1 6.9 rc2 6.9 rc3 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
7 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | CISA-ADP |
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| Nov 21, 2024 | CVE Modified | CVE |
| Nov 1, 2024 | CVE Modified | CISA-ADP |
| May 29, 2024 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| May 20, 2024 | New CVE Received | kernel.org |