CVE-2024-56593: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: brcmfmac: Fix oops due to NULL pointer dereference in brcmf_sdiod_sglist_rw() This patch fixes a NULL pointer dereference bug in brcmfmac that occurs when a high 'sd_sgentry_align' value applies (e.g. 512) and a lot of queued SKBs are sent from the pkt queue. The problem is the number of entries in the pre-allocated sgtable, it is nents = max(rxglom_size, txglom_size) + max(rxglom_size, txglom_size) >> 4 + 1. Given the default [rt]xglom_size=32 it's actually 35 which is too small. Worst case, the pkt queue can end up with 64 SKBs. This occurs when a new SKB is added for each original SKB if tailroom isn't enough to hold tail_pad. At least one sg entry is needed for each SKB. So, eventually the "skb_queue_walk loop" in brcmf_sdiod_sglist_rw may run out of sg entries. This makes sg_next return NULL and this causes the oops. The patch sets nents to max(rxglom_size, txglom_size) * 2 to be able handle the worst-case. Btw. this requires only 64-35=29 * 16 (or 20 if CONFIG_NEED_SG_DMA_LENGTH) = 464 additional bytes of memory.

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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	< 5.4.287
linux	linux_kernel	5.5 — 5.10.231
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.174
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.120
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.66
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.5

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/07c020c6d14d29e5a3ea4e4576b8ecf956a80834 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/342f87d263462c2670b77ea9a32074cab2ac6fa1 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/34941321b516bd7c6103bd01287d71a1804d19d3 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67a25ea28f8ec1da8894f2f115d01d3becf67dc7 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7522d7d745d13fbeff3350fe6aa56c8dae263571 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/857282b819cbaa0675aaab1e7542e2c0579f52d7 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dfb3f9d3f602602de208da7bdcc0f6d5ee74af68

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00002.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-56593? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: brcmfmac: Fix oops due to NULL pointer dereference in brcmf_sdiod_sglist_rw() This patch fixes a NULL pointer dereference bug in brcmfmac that occurs when a high 'sd_sgentry_align' value applies (e.g. 512) and a lot of queued SKBs are sent from the pkt queue. The problem is the number of entries in the pre-allocated sgtable, it is nents = max(rxglom_size, txglom_size) + max(rxglom_size, txglom_size) >> 4 + 1. Given the default [rt]xglom_size=32 it's actually 35 which is too small. Worst case, the pkt queue can end up with 64 SKBs. This occurs when a new SKB is added for each original SKB if tailroom isn't enough to hold tail_pad. At least one sg entry is needed for each SKB. So, eventually the "skb_queue_walk loop" in brcmf_sdiod_sglist_rw may run out of sg entries. This makes sg_next return NULL and this causes the oops. The patch sets nents to max(rxglom_size, txglom_size) * 2 to be able handle the worst-case. Btw. this requires only 64-35=29 * 16 (or 20 if CONFIG_NEED_SG_DMA_LENGTH) = 464 additional bytes of memory. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-56593? +

CVE-2024-56593 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-2024-56593? +

CVE-2024-56593 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-2024-56593? +

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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CVE-2024-56593