CVE-2024-46718

What it actually does

Overmapping the identity VRAM mapping in the DRM/XE driver triggers hardware bugs on certain platforms by failing to use 2M pages for the final unaligned VRAM chunk.

Why it matters to the business

Systems may experience instability, crashes, or hardware faults on affected platforms, resulting in operational downtime until kernel updates are applied.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access performs graphics or memory operations that cause the driver to overmap the identity VRAM region, potentially leading to hardware-level memory corruption or denial of service on vulnerable platforms.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to a version containing commit bb706e92c87beb9f2543faa1705ccc330b9e7c65 or later; for kubeedge deployments apply versions 1.11.1, 1.10.2, or 1.9.4.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify the running kernel contains the referenced commit or equivalent fixed version and confirm the 2M page alignment assert passes for the final VRAM chunk.

Typical attack path

1. Gain local access to an affected Linux system
2. Trigger graphics or VRAM mapping operations via user-space applications
3. Cause the driver to overmap the final unaligned VRAM chunk
4. Induce hardware bugs resulting in memory corruption or system instability

How to detect it

Review kernel logs and dmesg output for VRAM mapping errors, page size assertions, or hardware fault messages on XE platforms; correlate with graphics process activity.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel updates on systems using the XE DRM driver
• Test the updated kernel on representative hardware before broad deployment
• Monitor kernel logs for VRAM mapping warnings after patching