CVE-2024-26971 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 05/01/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
clk: qcom: gcc-ipq5018: fix terminating of frequency table arrays
The frequency table arrays are supposed to be terminated with an empty element. Add such entry to the end of the arrays where it is missing in order to avoid possible out-of-bound access when the table is traversed by functions like qcom_find_freq() or qcom_find_freq_floor().
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2026
The vulnerability CVE-2024-26971 addresses a critical memory safety issue within the Linux kernel's clock management subsystem, specifically affecting Qualcomm IPQ5018 platform devices. This flaw exists in the gcc-ipq5018 clock driver component that manages frequency table arrays for clock control operations. The vulnerability stems from improper termination of frequency table arrays, which are essential data structures used to define valid clock frequencies for various hardware components within the Qualcomm SoC architecture. These arrays must be properly terminated with an empty element to ensure safe traversal by kernel functions, but the missing termination entries create a potential for memory access violations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the qcom_find_freq() and qcom_find_freq_floor() functions that traverse the frequency table arrays to locate appropriate clock frequencies for hardware operations. When these functions encounter arrays without proper termination elements, they may continue reading beyond the allocated array boundaries, leading to out-of-bounds memory access patterns. This memory corruption can result in unpredictable behavior including system crashes, data corruption, or potential privilege escalation opportunities. The flaw represents a classic buffer over-read condition that violates fundamental memory safety principles and can be exploited by malicious actors to compromise system integrity.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability affects Linux systems running on Qualcomm IPQ5018 platform devices where the clock management subsystem is actively utilized. The impact extends to embedded systems, networking equipment, and mobile devices that rely on Qualcomm's clock control mechanisms for proper hardware operation. The vulnerability's exploitation potential increases when attackers can influence clock frequency selection or when the system experiences conditions that trigger the affected traversal functions. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for mission-critical systems where clock stability and memory safety are paramount.
The fix implemented for CVE-2024-26971 involves adding proper termination entries to frequency table arrays where they were previously missing, ensuring that all arrays end with an empty element as required by the kernel's clock management conventions. This remediation aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and specifically targets the CWE-787 weakness related to out-of-bounds write operations. The solution follows established security practices for kernel memory management and adheres to the principle of least privilege by preventing unauthorized memory access patterns. Organizations should prioritize applying this patch to mitigate the risk of system instability or potential exploitation, particularly in environments where clock management functions are actively utilized. The fix demonstrates the importance of proper data structure termination in kernel-level code and reinforces the need for comprehensive testing of memory access patterns in embedded system components.
This vulnerability relates to the ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves the exploitation of privileges through local system exploitation, as the memory corruption could potentially be leveraged to escalate privileges within the kernel space. The remediation process should be integrated into standard security update procedures for Linux distributions supporting Qualcomm platforms, ensuring that all affected systems receive the necessary patches to maintain system integrity and prevent potential exploitation attempts.