CVE-2024-36023

What it actually does

Null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel that triggers a crash when a specific code path is executed.

Why it matters to the business

Local users or processes can cause affected Linux systems to become unavailable, resulting in operational downtime and potential loss of service continuity.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access on a vulnerable kernel triggers the dereference condition, leading to an immediate kernel panic and system halt.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to the fixed commit 2e2177f94c0e0bc41323d7b6975a5f4820ed347e or later stable release containing the fix.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify the running kernel contains commit 2e2177f94c0e0bc41323d7b6975a5f4820ed347e and confirm the null pointer dereference no longer occurs under the previously triggering conditions.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local user or process execution context on the target system
2. Execute or trigger the code path containing the null pointer dereference
3. Observe kernel oops and system crash

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for null pointer dereference oops or panic messages referencing the affected code path; correlate with process execution leading to the crash.

What your security team should do

• Apply the kernel update containing commit 2e2177f94c0e0bc41323d7b6975a5f4820ed347e as soon as possible
• Restrict local access to systems running vulnerable kernels until patched
• Monitor kernel logs for null pointer dereference oops messages