CVE-2024-46722 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 09/18/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
drm/amdgpu: fix mc_data out-of-bounds read warning
Clear warning that read mc_data[i-1] may out-of-bounds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-46722 resides within the Linux kernel's amdgpu display driver subsystem, specifically addressing a critical out-of-bounds memory access issue in the memory controller data handling mechanism. This flaw manifests in the drm/amdgpu component where the system attempts to read from mc_data array using an index that could potentially access memory locations outside the allocated bounds. The warning indicates that the code executes a read operation at mc_data[i-1] where the variable i might be zero or less than one, creating a scenario where the array access would attempt to read from a negative index or before the beginning of the allocated memory region.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues and specifically aligns with CWE-129, which represents an insufficient bounds check, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. This memory access violation occurs during the normal operation of the AMD GPU driver when processing memory controller data structures, potentially leading to unpredictable system behavior or information disclosure. The flaw demonstrates a classic programming error where boundary conditions are not properly validated before array indexing operations, particularly when dealing with decrementing counters or loop variables that may reach zero or negative values.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple warning messages to potentially enable more serious security exploits. While the immediate effect appears to be a warning message, the underlying memory access pattern suggests that an attacker could potentially manipulate the conditions leading to the out-of-bounds read to achieve arbitrary code execution or information leakage. The vulnerability affects systems running Linux kernels with AMD GPU support, particularly those utilizing the amdgpu driver for graphics processing. This creates a significant risk for servers, desktops, and embedded systems where GPU acceleration is utilized, as the out-of-bounds memory access could be leveraged to corrupt kernel memory structures or extract sensitive information from the system's memory space.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate kernel updates and patches provided by the Linux kernel maintainers, which typically address the specific boundary condition checking issue in the amdgpu driver code. System administrators should prioritize applying the latest security patches from their respective distributions, as these updates contain the necessary fixes to prevent the out-of-bounds memory access from occurring. Additionally, implementing runtime monitoring and memory protection mechanisms such as kernel address space layout randomization, stack canaries, and memory protection boundaries can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit potential attack vectors that could leverage this vulnerability, particularly in environments where GPU-intensive applications are deployed. The fix typically involves adding proper bounds checking before array access operations, ensuring that the index variable i is validated to prevent negative or out-of-range access patterns that could compromise system stability and security.