CVE-2024-40941

What it actually does

The flaw allows an out-of-bounds read in the iwlwifi driver when firmware sends an mfuart notification claiming more data than was allocated for the buffer, potentially leading to a kernel crash or memory corruption.

Why it matters to the business

Systems using affected Intel WiFi hardware may experience unexpected crashes or reduced availability when the driver processes malformed firmware notifications, increasing downtime risk on Linux servers and endpoints until patched.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access supplies or triggers a firmware notification with an overstated data length; the kernel driver reads beyond the allocated buffer, causing denial of service or potential further memory issues.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to a version containing commit 15b37c6fab9d5e40ac399fa1c725118588ed649c or later; rebuild and reboot with the patched driver.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the running kernel includes commit 15b37c6fab9d5e40ac399fa1c725118588ed649c via git log or kernel version check; test WiFi notification paths under load.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local access to a system with vulnerable iwlwifi driver
2. Trigger or emulate a firmware notification with inflated length field
3. Driver performs out-of-bounds read leading to kernel fault

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for iwlwifi oops or KFENCE reports mentioning mfuart notifications; examine crash dumps for buffer over-read patterns in the driver.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel updates on all systems with Intel WiFi hardware
• Monitor for kernel oops or crashes related to iwlwifi after applying fixes
• Limit local access where feasible until patches are deployed