CVE-2024-26973: Linux kernel · fat: fix uninitialized field in nostale filehandles
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 5.4.0-1128.138~18.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 10:59 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 5.4.0-1128.138~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1133.140~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1132.141~18.04.1 +62
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 May 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Patches and advisories
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6816-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6817-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6817-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6817-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6878-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6896-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6898-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6896-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6898-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6896-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6898-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6896-4 (opens in a new tab)
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-ibmpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-ibm?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fat: fix uninitialized field in nostale filehandles When fat_encode_fh_nostale() encodes file handle without a parent it stores only first 10 bytes of the file handle. However the length of the file handle must be a multiple of 4 so the file handle is actually 12 bytes long and the last two bytes remain uninitialized. This is not great at we potentially leak uninitialized information with the handle to userspace. Properly initialize the full handle length.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-26973 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-26973 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/fde2497d2bc3a063d8af88b258dbadc86bd7b57c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9840d1897e28f8733cc1e38f97e044f987dc0a63 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f52d7663a10a1266a2d3871a6dd8fd111edc549f (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a276c595c3a629170b0f052a3724f755d7c6adc6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7fb63e807c6dadf7ecc1d43448c4f1711d7eeee (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c8cc05de8e6b5612b6e9f92c385c1a064b0db375 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/03a7e3f2ba3ca25f1da1d3898709a08db14c1abb (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/74f852654b8b7866f15323685f1e178d3386c688 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdd33d54e789d229d6d5007cbf3f53965ca1a5c6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fde2497d2bc3a063d8af88b258dbadc86bd7b57c (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6816-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6817-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6817-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6817-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6878-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6896-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6898-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6896-2 (opens in a new tab)