CVE-2024-58064 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 03/06/2025
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: cfg80211: tests: Fix potential NULL dereference in test_cfg80211_parse_colocated_ap()
kunit_kzalloc() may return NULL, dereferencing it without NULL check may lead to NULL dereference. Add a NULL check for ies.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-58064 resides within the Linux kernel's wireless subsystem, specifically affecting the cfg80211 configuration framework that manages wireless device operations. This issue manifests in the test infrastructure used for validating wireless functionality, where a potential null pointer dereference could occur during the parsing of colocated access point configurations. The vulnerability impacts the kernel's testing framework rather than production code, but represents a critical flaw in the quality assurance processes for wireless subsystem components. The issue stems from insufficient input validation within the test case implementation, specifically in the test_cfg80211_parse_colocated_ap() function.
The technical flaw occurs when kunit_kzalloc() function is called to allocate memory for wireless information elements during test execution. This allocation function can return NULL when memory is unavailable or when allocation fails, but the subsequent code does not perform a null pointer check before dereferencing the returned pointer. The specific variable in question is the ies parameter, which represents wireless information elements used in wireless network configuration. When the allocation fails and NULL is returned, the code attempts to access memory through this null pointer, resulting in a kernel panic or system crash. This represents a classic null pointer dereference vulnerability that can be exploited to cause denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability primarily affects developers and system administrators working with kernel wireless subsystem testing and development environments. While the flaw exists in test code rather than production kernel functionality, it can cause test failures that mask legitimate issues or prevent proper validation of wireless subsystem changes. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices in kernel test infrastructure, potentially leading to unstable testing environments and unreliable test results. In production systems, this vulnerability does not directly impact operational security since it only affects the testing framework, but it indicates potential code quality issues that could exist elsewhere in the kernel codebase.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability focus on implementing proper null pointer checks in the test infrastructure code. The fix requires adding a NULL check immediately after the kunit_kzalloc() call before any dereference operations on the allocated memory. This approach aligns with standard defensive programming practices and follows the principle of validating all pointer allocations before use. The fix should be applied to the specific test function test_cfg80211_parse_colocated_ap() within the cfg80211 test suite. Additionally, this vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive testing of kernel subsystems, particularly in areas where memory allocation failures could occur. The fix demonstrates adherence to common security practices and aligns with the ATT&CK framework's defense evasion techniques, where proper input validation and error handling prevent system instability. This vulnerability also corresponds to CWE-476, which specifically addresses null pointer dereference issues in software development. The remediation approach emphasizes the need for robust error handling in kernel development and testing environments, ensuring that all memory allocations are properly validated before use.