Linux: NULL Pointer Dereference
CVE-2024-57925 is a high-severity NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 781c743e18bfd9b7dc0383f036ae952bd1486f21, ee7e40f7fb17f08a8cbae50553e5c2e10ae32fce, 271ae0edbfc942795c162e6cf20d2bc02bd7fde4 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.21% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 781c743e18bfd9b7dc0383f036ae952bd1486f21 or ee7e40f7fb17f08a8cbae50553e5c2e10ae32fce or 271ae0edbfc942795c162e6cf20d2bc02bd7fde4 or 2976e91a3e569cf2c92c9f71512c0ab1312fe965, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 5.16 or 6.1.125 or 6.6.72 or 6.12.10, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6f0207218c4c125f5bf32055ac4220b4ef3b7e67 up to, but not including, 781c743e18bfd9b7dc0383f036ae952bd1486f21; f8cf1ebb7de62c7d807707ce4abb69d483629263 up to, but not including, ee7e40f7fb17f08a8cbae50553e5c2e10ae32fce; 041bba4414cda37d00063952c9bff9c3d5812a19 up to, but not including, 271ae0edbfc942795c162e6cf20d2bc02bd7fde4; 041bba4414cda37d00063952c9bff9c3d5812a19 up to, but not including, 2976e91a3e569cf2c92c9f71512c0ab1312fe965; 041bba4414cda37d00063952c9bff9c3d5812a19 up to, but not including, 4c16e1cadcbcaf3c82d5fc310fbd34d0f5d0db7c; 5.15.145 up to, but not including, 5.15.177; 6.1.71 up to, but not including, 6.1.125; 6.6 | 781c743e18bfd9b7dc0383f036ae952bd1486f21, ee7e40f7fb17f08a8cbae50553e5c2e10ae32fce, 271ae0edbfc942795c162e6cf20d2bc02bd7fde4, 2976e91a3e569cf2c92c9f71512c0ab1312fe965, 4c16e1cadcbcaf3c82d5fc310fbd34d0f5d0db7c, 5.15.177 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.15.145 up to, but not including, 5.16; 6.1.71 up to, but not including, 6.1.125; 6.6 up to, but not including, 6.6.72; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.10; 6.13 | 5.16, 6.1.125, 6.6.72, 6.12.10 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.1 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.1 | High | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: fix a missing return value check bug In the smb2_send_interim_resp(), if ksmbd_alloc_work_struct() fails to allocate a node, it returns a NULL pointer to the in_work pointer. This can lead to an illegal memory write of in_work->response_buf when allocate_interim_rsp_buf() attempts to perform a kzalloc() on it. To address this issue, incorporating a check for the return value of ksmbd_alloc_work_struct() ensures that the function returns immediately upon allocation failure, thereby preventing the aforementioned illegal memory access.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: NULL Pointer Dereference
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any pointers that could have been modified or provided from a function that can return NULL, check the pointer for NULL before use. When working with a multithreaded or otherwise asynchronous environment, ensure that proper locking APIs are used to lock before the check, and unlock when it has finished.
- Select a programming language that is not susceptible to these issues.
- Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is non-null before acting upon it.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/271ae0edbfc942795c162e6cf20d2bc02bd7fde4
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2976e91a3e569cf2c92c9f71512c0ab1312fe965
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4c16e1cadcbcaf3c82d5fc310fbd34d0f5d0db7c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/781c743e18bfd9b7dc0383f036ae952bd1486f21
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee7e40f7fb17f08a8cbae50553e5c2e10ae32fce
Other references
Recent NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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