Vulnary
← back to the feed
Critical· 9.8official fix available

CVE-2024-44985

A critical bug in the Linux kernel’s IPv6 networking code can let an attacker trigger a use‑after‑free, potentially crashing the system or allowing code execution. The flaw occurs when the kernel fails to handle a NULL return from skb_expand_head() during packet transmission. It can be exploited over the network without any user interaction.

publishedSep 4, 2024
last modifiedAug 4, 2026
sourcesNVD
severity · cvss
9.8
critical · how bad it is
exploitation · epss
<1%
17th percentile · chance of exploitation in 30 days
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →
auto-deletes from the system
counting…on Sep 4, 2026

An official fix is available, so this entry is kept for 30 days and then removed automatically.

01

Who is affected

All Linux kernel users, especially those running kernel 6.11 or earlier, are affected. The issue is in the IPv6 stack of the kernel.

02

Real-world impact

An attacker could crash the kernel or execute arbitrary code, leading to denial of service or full system compromise.

03

Why this severity

The CVSS score is 9.8 because the vulnerability can be exploited remotely, requires no privileges or user interaction, and gives an attacker full control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

04

What to do about it

official fix available
recommended steps
  1. 01Check the current kernel version on your system.
  2. 02Update to a kernel version that includes the CVE‑2024‑44985 fix (e.g., the latest stable release of Linux kernel 6.11 or newer).
  3. 03Reboot the system to load the updated kernel.

NVD-referenced vendor advisory

05

Timeline

  1. Sep 4, 2024 · Sep 4, 2024
    Published
    Disclosed and added to the National Vulnerability Database.
  2. Aug 4, 2026 · 2d ago
    Advisory updated
    The NVD record was last revised.
  3. Aug 5, 2026 · 1d ago
    Official fix available
    A vendor patch or mitigation now exists — see the remediation steps above.
06

How it’s attacked

Attack vectorNetwork (remote)
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionNone needed
ScopeUnchanged
Confidentiality impactHigh
Integrity impactHigh
Availability impactHigh
07

References & advisories

NVD advisory ↗Search advisories ↗
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →