CVE-2024-27077

What it actually does

Memory leak of entity->name allocation in v4l2_m2m_register_entity error paths within the Linux kernel v4l2-mem2mem subsystem, leading to gradual kernel memory exhaustion on repeated triggering.

Why it matters to the business

Systems relying on video memory-to-memory devices may experience resource depletion over time, causing kernel instability, performance degradation, or availability issues in media processing workloads; widespread kernel prevalence increases patch urgency for affected distributions.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access triggers error conditions during entity registration in v4l2_m2m_register_entity to repeatedly leak entity->name allocations without triggering deallocation, accumulating memory usage; no named threat actors or ransomware campaigns are associated, and low EPSS indicates limited real-world exploitation observed.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to a version incorporating commit 3dd8abb0ed0e0a7c66d6d677c86ccb188cc39333 or later stable releases containing the fix; rebuild and deploy updated kernel packages across affected systems.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify kernel source includes the deallocation logic for entity->name in error paths of v4l2_m2m_register_entity; confirm running kernel version post-update and test v4l2-mem2mem registration under error conditions for absence of leaks.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local access to a system running an affected Linux kernel version
2. Identify or craft conditions to invoke v4l2_m2m_register_entity with subsequent error paths
3. Repeat error-triggering operations to accumulate unfreed entity->name allocations
4. Monitor for kernel memory pressure leading to denial of service

How to detect it

Inspect kernel logs and memory profiling tools for repeated allocations tied to v4l2 entity registration without corresponding frees; correlate with v4l2-mem2mem usage patterns in affected kernels, though specific exploit artifacts are not widely documented.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel updates on systems exposing v4l2-mem2mem functionality within the next maintenance window
• Monitor memory usage trends in media subsystems for anomalous growth patterns
• Review downstream kernel dependents for coordinated patching