CVE-2024-50057

What it actually does

The tps6598x driver called devm_free_irq unconditionally during module removal even when operating in polling mode where no IRQ had been requested, triggering a kernel warning in devres.c.

Why it matters to the business

Systems using the affected USB Type-C controller hardware may produce kernel warnings on driver unload, increasing log noise and requiring unnecessary investigation; low operational risk given the non-security nature of the flaw and low exploit probability.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access could trigger repeated module load/unload cycles on affected hardware to generate kernel warnings, but no code execution, privilege escalation, or remote exploitation is possible; listed threat actors reference generic Linux kernel issues rather than this specific resource-handling bug.

How to fix it

Update to Linux kernel commit b72bf5cade51ba4055c8a8998d275e72e6b521ce or later; rebuild and deploy the fixed kernel image; for Rocky Linux 8 users apply the libarchive package update to 3.3.3-3.el8_5 or newer if applicable to the distribution kernel.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the running kernel contains commit b72bf5cade51ba4055c8a8998d275e72e6b521ce; attempt module removal on affected hardware and verify absence of the devm_free_irq warning in dmesg.

Typical attack path

1. Identify system with tps6598x USB Type-C controller operating in polling mode
2. Load and unload the tps6598x kernel module repeatedly
3. Observe kernel warning emitted from devm_free_irq during removal

How to detect it

Review kernel logs (dmesg, journalctl) around module unload events for the exact devm_free_irq warning stack trace involving tps6598x_remove; no remote or persistent indicators exist.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel update on any systems exposing the tps6598x driver
• Monitor EPSS trend (stable at ~0.0021) and re-evaluate if new exploitation techniques emerge
• Include the fixed commit hash in patch-management automation and SBOM tracking