CVE-2024-41023: Linux kernel · sched/deadline: Fix task_struct reference leak
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 15:33 UTC
Rated Medium by Threat Radar's AI analysis · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA
Thin evidence
One scorer or noneExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 29 Jul 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 30 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
A patch has been released that fixes the reference count leak by ensuring the task_struct reference count is decremented when the timer is canceled. Users should apply the official Linux kernel updates that include this fix. Since this is a kernel memory leak, no other specific mitigations are indicated.
Description
CVE-2024-41023 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's sched/deadline subsystem that causes a task_struct reference count leak. The flaw occurs when a timer set by start_dl_timer() is canceled by enqueue_task_dl() before expiration, preventing the expected decrement of the task_struct reference count. This leads to a memory leak as observed during stress testing with linux-rt and stress-ng. The issue has been fixed by a patch that ensures the reference count is properly decremented when the timer is canceled.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8acaaeb484097f46c93bb6c3f836d1c1c07fcbdc (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8005214946fd1d9fefdeff19c6ce46d60de2cef (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7a54d31face626f62de415ebe77b43f76c3ffaf4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b58652db66c910c2245f5bee7deca41c12d707b9 (opens in a new tab)