In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: f_fs: Fix use-after-free for epfile Consider a case where ffs_func_eps_disable is called from ffs_func_disable as part of composition switch and at the same time ffs_epfile_release get called from userspace. ffs_epfile_release will free up the read buffer and call ffs_data_closed which in turn destroys ffs->epfiles and mark it as NULL. While this was happening the driver has already initialized the local epfile in ffs_func_eps_disable which is now freed and waiting to acquire the spinlock. Once spinlock is acquired the driver proceeds with the stale value of epfile and tries to free the already freed read buffer causing use-after-free. Following is the illustration of the race: CPU1 CPU2 ffs_func_eps_disable epfiles (local copy) ffs_epfile_release ffs_data_closed if (last file closed) ffs_data_reset ffs_data_clear ffs_epfiles_destroy spin_lock dereference epfiles Fix this races by taking epfiles local copy & assigning it under spinlock and if epfiles(local) is null then update it in ffs->epfiles then finally destroy it. Extending the scope further from the race, protecting the ep related structures, and concurrent accesses.
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.