CVE-2024-50145: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: octeon_ep: Add SKB allocation failures handling in __octep_oq_process_rx() build_skb() returns NULL in case of a memory allocation failure so handle it inside __octep_oq_process_rx() to avoid NULL pointer dereference. __octep_oq_process_rx() is called during NAPI polling by the driver. If skb allocation fails, keep on pulling packets out of the Rx DMA queue: we shouldn't break the polling immediately and thus falsely indicate to the octep_napi_poll() that the Rx pressure is going down. As there is no associated skb in this case, don't process the packets and don't push them up the network stack - they are skipped. Helper function is implemented to unmmap/flush all the fragment buffers used by the dropped packet. 'alloc_failures' counter is incremented to mark the skb allocation error in driver statistics. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-476 CWE-476

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	5.19 — 6.1.115
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.59
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.11.6
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/09ce491112bbf0b866e2638d3e961c1c73d1f00b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2dedcb6f99f4c1a11944e7cc35dbeb9b18a5cbac https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c2d2dc4f88bb3cfc4f3cc320fd3ff51b0ae5b0ea https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb592008f79be52ccef88cd9a5249b3fc0367278

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-50145? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: octeon_ep: Add SKB allocation failures handling in __octep_oq_process_rx() build_skb() returns NULL in case of a memory allocation failure so handle it inside __octep_oq_process_rx() to avoid NULL pointer dereference. __octep_oq_process_rx() is called during NAPI polling by the driver. If skb allocation fails, keep on pulling packets out of the Rx DMA queue: we shouldn't break the polling immediately and thus falsely indicate to the octep_napi_poll() that the Rx pressure is going down. As there is no associated skb in this case, don't process the packets and don't push them up the network stack - they are skipped. Helper function is implemented to unmmap/flush all the fragment buffers used by the dropped packet. 'alloc_failures' counter is incremented to mark the skb allocation error in driver statistics. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-50145? +

CVE-2024-50145 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-50145? +

CVE-2024-50145 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-50145? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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