CVE-2024-46729

What it actually does

Incorrect use of sizeof on an array (fe_clk_en of 5 elements) instead of dividing byte size by element size causes loop to overrun the intended bounds in the AMD display driver code path.

Why it matters to the business

Memory corruption or kernel instability on systems using AMD GPUs may lead to display crashes, system reboots, or potential privilege escalation in affected Linux kernels.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access triggers the display initialization or mode-setting code paths that iterate over the mis-sized array, causing an out-of-bounds write that can be leveraged for memory corruption.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to commit 712be65b3b372a82bff0865b9c090147764bf1c4 or later; for golang.org/x/crypto update to 0.0.0-20190424203555-c05e17bb3b2d.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm kernel source contains the corrected loop size calculation (byte size divided by element size) and that Coverity OVERRUN reports for this path are resolved after the update.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local code execution on a Linux system with AMD display hardware
2. Trigger display driver initialization or mode change that exercises the fe_clk_en loop
3. Cause buffer overrun to corrupt adjacent kernel memory structures
4. Escalate to kernel-level code execution or denial of service

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for oops or panic messages referencing amd_display or fe_clk_en; inspect audit logs for unusual display-related system calls from untrusted processes.

What your security team should do

• Apply the referenced kernel commit or distribution backport immediately on AMD GPU systems
• Prioritize patching servers and workstations with AMD graphics before less critical endpoints
• Monitor for kernel oops or display driver crashes as indicators of potential exploitation attempts