CVE-2024-50261: Linux kernel · macsec: Fix use-after-free while sending the offloading packet
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 03:29 UTC
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 9 Nov 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 29 Oct 2026.
What to do
AI-suggested
A fix is available that changes the release mechanism of metadata_dst to prevent premature freeing while still referenced. Users should apply the official Linux kernel patches that address this issue. Since this is a kernel-level vulnerability, updating to a patched kernel version is the recommended mitigation.
Description
CVE-2024-50261 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's macsec module related to sending offloading packets. The issue arises because metadata_dst, which stores the SCI value for macsec offload, is freed prematurely while still in use, leading to a use-after-free condition detected by KASAN. This flaw has been fixed by changing the release mechanism to avoid immediate freeing if the metadata_dst is still referenced by the socket buffer.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-50261 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4614640f1d5c93c22272117dc256e9940ccac8e8 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/872932cf75cf859804370a265dd58118129386fa (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f5ae743dbe9a2458540a7d35fff0f990df025cf (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1e54d11b210b53d418ff1476c6b58a2f434dfc0 (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html (opens in a new tab)