CVE-2024-53181 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 12/27/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
um: vector: Do not use drvdata in release
The drvdata is not available in release. Let's just use container_of() to get the vector_device instance. Otherwise, removing a vector device will result in a crash:
RIP: 0033:vector_device_release+0xf/0x50 RSP: 00000000e187bc40 EFLAGS: 00010202 RAX: 0000000060028f61 RBX: 00000000600f1baf RCX: 00000000620074e0 RDX: 000000006220b9c0 RSI: 0000000060551c80 RDI: 0000000000000000 RBP: 00000000e187bc50 R08: 00000000603ad594 R09: 00000000e187bb70 R10: 000000000000135a R11: 00000000603ad422 R12: 00000000623ae028 R13: 000000006287a200 R14: 0000000062006d30 R15: 00000000623700b6 Kernel panic - not syncing: Segfault with no mm CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 16 Comm: kworker/0:1 Not tainted 6.12.0-rc6-g59b723cd2adb #1 Workqueue: events mc_work_proc Stack: 60028f61 623ae028 e187bc80 60276fcd 6220b9c0 603f5820 623ae028 00000000 e187bcb0 603a2bcd 623ae000 62370010 Call Trace: [] ? vector_device_release+0x0/0x50
[] device_release+0x70/0xba
[] kobject_put+0xba/0xe7
[] put_device+0x19/0x1c
[] platform_device_put+0x26/0x29
[] platform_device_unregister+0x2c/0x2e
[] vector_remove+0x52/0x58
[] ? mconsole_reply+0x0/0x50
[] mconsole_remove+0x160/0x1cc
[] ? strlen+0x0/0x15
[] ? __dequeue_entity+0x1a9/0x206
[] ? set_next_entity+0x39/0x63
[] ? set_next_entity+0x0/0x63
[] ? um_set_signals+0x0/0x43
[] mc_work_proc+0x77/0x91
[] process_scheduled_works+0x1b3/0x2dd
[] ? assign_work+0x0/0x58
[] worker_thread+0x1e9/0x293
[] ? set_pf_worker+0x0/0x64
[] ? arch_local_irq_save+0x0/0x2d
[] ? kthread_exit+0x0/0x3a
[] ? worker_thread+0x0/0x293
[] kthread+0x126/0x12b
[] new_thread_handler+0x85/0xb6
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-53181 affects the Linux kernel's handling of vector device management within the unified memory (um) subsystem. This issue arises during the cleanup process when a vector device is being removed from the system, specifically in the vector_device_release function where a critical data access pattern fails due to improper use of driver data pointers. The root cause stems from attempting to reference drvdata during device release operations when such data is no longer accessible or valid, leading to a kernel panic and system crash.
The technical flaw manifests in the kernel's device management code where the vector_device_release function incorrectly attempts to utilize driver-specific data (drvdata) that has already been invalidated or freed during the removal sequence. This improper reference results in a segmentation fault when the kernel tries to access memory that is either unmapped or has been deallocated. The crash occurs during the normal device removal workflow, specifically when the platform device is being unregistered, triggering a cascade of function calls that ultimately leads to the kernel panic with "Segfault with no mm" message. The stack trace shows the execution path leading to the failure point at vector_device_release+0xf/0x50, indicating that the kernel cannot properly dereference the device structure due to the invalid drvdata access.
This vulnerability represents a classic case of improper memory management and lifecycle handling within kernel space operations, falling under the category of memory safety issues that can lead to system instability and potential denial of service conditions. The operational impact extends beyond simple system crashes as it can affect the reliability of systems that depend on vector device management, particularly in embedded or specialized computing environments where such devices are actively used. The vulnerability affects the kernel's ability to gracefully handle device removal operations, potentially causing complete system shutdowns and requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations. This type of issue is particularly concerning in production environments where unexpected system crashes can lead to data loss, service disruption, and increased operational overhead.
The fix for this vulnerability involves replacing the problematic drvdata usage with the container_of() macro to properly obtain the vector_device instance from the device structure. This approach ensures that the correct memory location is accessed during device release operations without relying on potentially invalid driver data pointers. The solution aligns with established kernel development practices for managing device structures and follows the principle of using proper kernel APIs for memory access. This remediation addresses the core issue by ensuring that device cleanup operations proceed correctly through proper pointer arithmetic and structure dereferencing, eliminating the risk of accessing freed or invalid memory regions. The fix is minimal and targeted, addressing only the specific problematic code path while preserving all other functionality of the vector device management subsystem.
From a security perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper kernel memory management and adherence to established coding standards. The issue can be classified as a memory corruption vulnerability with potential for privilege escalation or system compromise, particularly when exploited in targeted environments. The vulnerability affects systems running Linux kernel versions where the um vector device subsystem is active and can be exploited through device removal operations. While the immediate impact is system crash, the underlying memory safety issue could potentially be leveraged in more sophisticated attack scenarios. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-476 which covers NULL pointer dereference conditions, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving system compromise through kernel exploitation. The vulnerability underscores the need for comprehensive kernel testing and review processes, particularly focusing on device management and cleanup operations that can lead to memory access violations.