CVE-2024-44994

What it actually does

Missing return statement in iommu_report_device_fault() causes partial faults to be processed instead of collected, resulting in kernel crash.

Why it matters to the business

Systems may experience unexpected crashes during IOMMU fault handling, leading to downtime and potential loss of service availability.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker triggers a partial device fault condition that reaches the affected function; the missing return allows continued execution on invalid state, crashing the kernel.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to a version containing commit cc6bc2ab1663ec9353636416af22452b078510e9 or later; for Helm users apply version 3.14.1 or newer.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the restored return statement is present in iommu_report_device_fault() and test fault injection scenarios to verify no crash occurs on partial faults.

Typical attack path

1. Identify or create conditions that generate a partial IOMMU device fault
2. Invoke iommu_report_device_fault with the partial fault
3. Trigger kernel crash due to continued processing after the deleted return

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for IOMMU fault handling crashes and backtraces referencing iommu_report_device_fault around the publication date or later.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel updates on all affected Linux systems
• Monitor for IOMMU-related crashes in system logs
• Apply the listed fixed versions across distributions and Helm deployments