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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2024-26960: Linux kernel · mm: swap: fix race between free_swap_and_cache() and swapoff()

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.0 High · fixed in 4.15.0-1182.197~14.04.1 : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 12 Nov 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.0High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
Patch
Available – fixed in 4.15.0-1182.197~14.04.1, 4.15.0-1174.187~16.04.1, 4.15.0-1182.197~16.04.1 +78
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 1 May 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponized: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 12 Nov 2026.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-35.35
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-35.35
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1009.9
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1009.9
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1008.8
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1008.8
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1008.9
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1008.9
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1004.7
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1004.7
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-ibmpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-ibm?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1006.6
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1006.6

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A patch is available and has been released in multiple Linux kernel versions including 4.15.0-1182.197~14.04.1 and later. Users should update to these fixed kernel versions or later to remediate this vulnerability. No additional mitigation actions are required beyond applying the official kernel updates.

Description

CVE-2024-26960 is a race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's memory management swap subsystem. It involves a timing window where the swapoff() function can concurrently teardown swap structures while free_swap_and_cache() is running in another thread, potentially causing use-after-free conditions. Although this issue is theoretical and has not been reproducibly triggered in tests, code review confirmed its plausibility. The fix involves synchronizing access using get_swap_device() and put_swap_device() to stall swapoff() during critical operations. This vulnerability affects specific Linux kernel versions prior to fixed releases in the 4.15 and 5.4 series, including certain Ubuntu kernel builds.

References

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