CVE-2024-53233: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: unicode: Fix utf8_load() error path utf8_load() requests the symbol "utf8_data_table" and then checks if the requested UTF-8 version is supported. If it's unsupported, it tries to put the data table using symbol_put(). If an unsupported version is requested, symbol_put() fails like this: kernel BUG at kernel/module/main.c:786! RIP: 0010:__symbol_put+0x93/0xb0 Call Trace: <TASK> ? __die_body.cold+0x19/0x27 ? die+0x2e/0x50 ? do_trap+0xca/0x110 ? do_error_trap+0x65/0x80 ? __symbol_put+0x93/0xb0 ? exc_invalid_op+0x51/0x70 ? __symbol_put+0x93/0xb0 ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x1a/0x20 ? __pfx_cmp_name+0x10/0x10 ? __symbol_put+0x93/0xb0 ? __symbol_put+0x62/0xb0 utf8_load+0xf8/0x150 That happens because symbol_put() expects the unique string that identify the symbol, instead of a pointer to the loaded symbol. Fix that by using such string.

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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	5.17 — 6.1.120
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.64
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.11.11
linux	linux_kernel	6.12 — 6.12.2

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/156bb2c569cd869583c593d27a5bd69e7b2a4264 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4387cef540f36c2c9297460758cc2438305a24a0 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6504dd27123966dc455494cb55217c04ca479121 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89933f8ab3b4cad5ac14ea56a39947d1ffe7d0e3 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c4b6c1781f6cc4e2283120ac8d873864b8056f21

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-53233? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: unicode: Fix utf8_load() error path utf8_load() requests the symbol "utf8_data_table" and then checks if the requested UTF-8 version is supported. If it's unsupported, it tries to put the data table using symbol_put(). If an unsupported version is requested, symbol_put() fails like this: kernel BUG at kernel/module/main.c:786! RIP: 0010:__symbol_put+0x93/0xb0 Call Trace: <TASK> ? __die_body.cold+0x19/0x27 ? die+0x2e/0x50 ? do_trap+0xca/0x110 ? do_error_trap+0x65/0x80 ? __symbol_put+0x93/0xb0 ? exc_invalid_op+0x51/0x70 ? __symbol_put+0x93/0xb0 ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x1a/0x20 ? __pfx_cmp_name+0x10/0x10 ? __symbol_put+0x93/0xb0 ? __symbol_put+0x62/0xb0 utf8_load+0xf8/0x150 That happens because symbol_put() expects the unique string that identify the symbol, instead of a pointer to the loaded symbol. Fix that by using such string. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-53233? +

CVE-2024-53233 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-2024-53233? +

CVE-2024-53233 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-2024-53233? +

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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