Race Condition Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Ethernet for Packet Handling

CVE-2024-56788

Summary

A race condition in the Linux kernel's Ethernet processing may allow improper management of transmit socket buffers (TX skb), potentially leading to packet loss and memory leaks. This occurs when two threads handle the transfer of TX skb pointers without adequate synchronization. If one thread processes an ongoing TX skb and moves the next one while another thread assigns a new TX skb to the waiting pointer, it can inadvertently nullify ongoing references, leaving them unhandled. This oversight can disrupt packet processing in the network stack, impacting overall network reliability.

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