CVE-2024-36890: mm/slab: make __free(kfree) accept error pointers

Published May 30, 2024
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mm/slab: make free(kfree) accept error pointers

Currently, if an automatically freed allocation is an error pointer that will lead to a crash. An example of this is in wm831xgpiodbgshow().

171 char label free(kfree) = gpiochipduplinelabel(chip, i); 172 if (ISERR(label)) { 173 deverr(wm831x->dev, "Failed to duplicate label\n"); 174 continue; 175 }

The auto clean up function should check for error pointers as well, otherwise we're going to keep hitting issues like this.

Affected Software

11 affected componentsFixes available
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1
Linux Linux kernel>=6.1.79<6.1.91
Linux Linux kernel>=6.5<6.6.31
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.8.10
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc5
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc6
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc7

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.234-1Fixed in 6.1.129-1Fixed in 6.1.135-1Fixed in 6.12.25-1Fixed in 6.12.27-1

Event History

May 30, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:28 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:28 PM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:15 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:15 PM
RemedySeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Aug 8, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:25 PM
Description
Dec 2, 2024
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·11:53 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2024-36890?

CVE-2024-36890 has a high severity due to the potential for system crashes.

2

How do I fix CVE-2024-36890?

To fix CVE-2024-36890, ensure that you upgrade to one of the patched versions of the Linux kernel listed in the affected software section.

3

Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2024-36890?

CVE-2024-36890 affects several Linux kernel versions prior to the fixed versions, including those below 5.10.223-1 and various 6.x versions.

4

What causes CVE-2024-36890?

CVE-2024-36890 is caused by improper handling of error pointers in the Linux kernel's memory management functions.

5

Is CVE-2024-36890 exploitable?

Yes, CVE-2024-36890 is exploitable under certain conditions, leading to system instability or crashes.

Contact

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