Use-after-free vulnerability in atm: nicstar

Kernel Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

03/08/2021

Disclosed on

N/A

Severity

No i

Fix available

Unrated

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

GSD-2021-1001431: atm: nicstar: Fix possible use-after-free in nicstar_cleanup(). Affects Kernel versions < c471569632654e57c83512e0fc1ba0dbb4544ad6. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

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Background

The atm: nicstar package is a component of the Linux Kernel, which is responsible for managing Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network interfaces. It provides the necessary drivers and functionality for ATM network cards. The nicstar_cleanup() function within the package is responsible for cleaning up resources and freeing memory when an ATM network interface is removed.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in atm: nicstar is a use-after-free issue that exists in the nicstar_cleanup() function. This vulnerability occurs when the function attempts to access memory that has already been freed. An attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial-of-service by manipulating the freed memory. The impact and attack plausibility of this vulnerability have not been proven yet.

How To Fix

No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.

To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v4.14.240 or later. This update includes a commit (c471569632654e57c83512e0fc1ba0dbb4544ad6) that addresses the use-after-free issue in nicstar_cleanup(). Updating the Kernel to the latest version ensures that the vulnerability is patched.

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Workaround

There is no specific workaround mentioned for this vulnerability.

Conclusion

The use-after-free vulnerability in atm: nicstar can be mitigated by updating the Linux Kernel to version v4.14.240 or later. This update includes a fix for the vulnerability, addressing the use-after-free issue in the nicstar_cleanup() function. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

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