CVE-2024-43844 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 08/17/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: rtw89: wow: fix GTK offload H2C skbuff issue
We mistakenly put skb too large and that may exceed skb->end. Therefore, we fix it.
skbuff: skb_over_panic: text:ffffffffc09e9a9d len:416 put:204 head:ffff8fba04eca780 data:ffff8fba04eca7e0 tail:0x200 end:0x140 dev: ------------[ cut here ]------------
kernel BUG at net/core/skbuff.c:192! invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI
CPU: 1 PID: 4747 Comm: kworker/u4:44 Tainted: G O 6.6.30-02659-gc18865c4dfbd #1 86547039b47e46935493f615ee31d0b2d711d35e Hardware name: HP Meep/Meep, BIOS Google_Meep.11297.262.0 03/18/2021 Workqueue: events_unbound async_run_entry_fn RIP: 0010:skb_panic+0x5d/0x60 Code: c6 63 8b 8f bb 4c 0f 45 f6 48 c7 c7 4d 89 8b bb 48 89 ce 44 89 d1 41 56 53 41 53 ff b0 c8 00 00 00 e8 27 5f 23 00 48 83 c4 20 0b 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 0f 1f 44 RSP: 0018:ffffaa700144bad0 EFLAGS: 00010282 RAX: 0000000000000089 RBX: 0000000000000140 RCX: 14432c5aad26c900 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 00000000ffffdfff RDI: 0000000000000001 RBP: ffffaa700144bae0 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffaa700144b920 R10: 00000000ffffdfff R11: ffffffffbc28fbc0 R12: ffff8fba4e57a010 R13: 0000000000000000 R14: ffffffffbb8f8b63 R15: 0000000000000000 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff8fba7bd00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007999c4ad1000 CR3: 000000015503a000 CR4: 0000000000350ee0 Call Trace: ? __die_body+0x1f/0x70 ? die+0x3d/0x60 ? do_trap+0xa4/0x110 ? skb_panic+0x5d/0x60 ? do_error_trap+0x6d/0x90 ? skb_panic+0x5d/0x60 ? handle_invalid_op+0x30/0x40 ? skb_panic+0x5d/0x60 ? exc_invalid_op+0x3c/0x50 ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x16/0x20 ? skb_panic+0x5d/0x60 skb_put+0x49/0x50 rtw89_fw_h2c_wow_gtk_ofld+0xbd/0x220 [rtw89_core 778b32de31cd1f14df2d6721ae99ba8a83636fa5]
rtw89_wow_resume+0x31f/0x540 [rtw89_core 778b32de31cd1f14df2d6721ae99ba8a83636fa5]
rtw89_ops_resume+0x2b/0xa0 [rtw89_core 778b32de31cd1f14df2d6721ae99ba8a83636fa5]
ieee80211_reconfig+0x84/0x13e0 [mac80211 818a894e3b77da6298269c59ed7cdff065a4ed52]
? __pfx_wiphy_resume+0x10/0x10 [cfg80211 1a793119e2aeb157c4ca4091ff8e1d9ae233b59d]
? dev_printk_emit+0x51/0x70 ? _dev_info+0x6e/0x90 ? __pfx_wiphy_resume+0x10/0x10 [cfg80211 1a793119e2aeb157c4ca4091ff8e1d9ae233b59d]
wiphy_resume+0x89/0x180 [cfg80211 1a793119e2aeb157c4ca4091ff8e1d9ae233b59d]
? __pfx_wiphy_resume+0x10/0x10 [cfg80211 1a793119e2aeb157c4ca4091ff8e1d9ae233b59d]
dpm_run_callback+0x3c/0x140 device_resume+0x1f9/0x3c0 ? __pfx_dpm_watchdog_handler+0x10/0x10 async_resume+0x1d/0x30 async_run_entry_fn+0x29/0xd0 process_scheduled_works+0x1d8/0x3d0 worker_thread+0x1fc/0x2f0 kthread+0xed/0x110 ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork+0x38/0x50 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1b/0x30 Modules linked in: ccm 8021q r8153_ecm cdc_ether usbnet r8152 mii dm_integrity async_xor xor async_tx lz4 lz4_compress zstd zstd_compress zram zsmalloc uinput rfcomm cmac algif_hash rtw89_8922ae(O) algif_skcipher rtw89_8922a(O) af_alg rtw89_pci(O) rtw89_core(O) btusb(O) snd_soc_sst_bxt_da7219_max98357a btbcm(O) snd_soc_hdac_hdmi btintel(O) snd_soc_intel_hda_dsp_common snd_sof_probes btrtl(O) btmtk(O) snd_hda_codec_hdmi snd_soc_dmic uvcvideo videobuf2_vmalloc uvc videobuf2_memops videobuf2_v4l2 videobuf2_common snd_sof_pci_intel_apl snd_sof_intel_hda_common snd_soc_hdac_hda snd_sof_intel_hda soundwire_intel soundwire_generic_allocation snd_sof_intel_hda_mlink soundwire_cadence snd_sof_pci snd_sof_xtensa_dsp mac80211 snd_soc_acpi_intel_match snd_soc_acpi snd_sof snd_sof_utils soundwire_bus snd_soc_max98357a snd_soc_avs snd_soc_hda_codec snd_hda_ext_core snd_intel_dspcfg snd_intel_sdw_acpi snd_soc_da7219 snd_hda_codec snd_hwdep snd_hda_core veth ip6table_nat xt_MASQUERADE xt_cgroup fuse bluetooth ecdh_generic cfg80211 ecc gsmi: Log Shutdown ---truncated---
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2024-43844 resides within the Linux kernel's wireless subsystem, specifically in the rtw89 driver responsible for managing Realtek 802.11 wireless chipsets. This issue manifests as a buffer overflow condition in the handling of GTK (Group Temporal Key) offload functionality during wake-on-Wireless (WoW) operations. The flaw occurs when a socket buffer (skbuff) is improperly managed, leading to an attempt to write data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The kernel's internal consistency check triggers a BUG at net/core/skbuff.c:192, indicating a severe violation of buffer integrity. This condition is classified under CWE-129, which deals with insufficient bound checking for buffer access, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for kernel-mode rootkit behavior through direct memory manipulation.
The technical root cause stems from incorrect handling of the skb_put function within the rtw89_fw_h2c_wow_gtk_ofld function, which is part of the firmware command handling for WoW features. The system attempts to append data to a socket buffer where the length parameter exceeds the available buffer space defined by skb->end. This mismanagement results in a kernel panic due to the skb_over_panic mechanism, which is designed to detect and prevent buffer overruns. The stack trace reveals that the error originates from the wireless subsystem during device resume operations, specifically when reconfiguring the 802.11 network interface after a power-saving state. The call path shows the issue propagates through mac80211, cfg80211, and finally to the rtw89 core driver, indicating a complex interaction between wireless networking layers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, as it can lead to system crashes and potential denial-of-service conditions in wireless-enabled devices. When a device enters a power-saving state and subsequently resumes, the kernel's wireless subsystem may crash, requiring a system reboot. This affects devices using Realtek 802.11 wireless controllers, particularly those implementing WoW functionality for battery-powered devices like laptops, smartphones, and IoT devices. The vulnerability is especially concerning in enterprise environments where wireless infrastructure reliability is paramount, as it could disrupt network connectivity and potentially provide an attack vector for malicious actors seeking to exploit system instability. The condition is further classified under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial-of-service attacks, as it could be leveraged to destabilize wireless network operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include applying the latest kernel patches that address the buffer overflow in the rtw89 driver's GTK offload handling. System administrators should prioritize updating the Linux kernel to version containing the fix, particularly for devices running kernel versions 6.6.30 or earlier. Additionally, monitoring for kernel oops or panic messages related to skbuff operations can help identify systems affected by this issue before a full crash occurs. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, disabling WoW functionality in wireless drivers can serve as a temporary workaround, though this may impact battery life and device responsiveness. The fix implemented by the kernel maintainers corrects the buffer length calculation and ensures proper bounds checking before data is appended to the socket buffer, thereby preventing the overwrite condition that leads to the kernel panic.