CVE-2024-49881: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: update orig_path in ext4_find_extent() In ext4_find_extent(), if the path is not big enough, we free it and set *orig_path to NULL. But after reallocating and successfully initializing the path, we don't update *orig_path, in which case the caller gets a valid path but a NULL ppath, and this may cause a NULL pointer dereference or a path memory leak. For example: ext4_split_extent path = *ppath = 2000 ext4_find_extent if (depth > path[0].p_maxdepth) kfree(path = 2000); *orig_path = path = NULL; path = kcalloc() = 3000 ext4_split_extent_at(*ppath = NULL) path = *ppath; ex = path[depth].p_ext; // NULL pointer dereference! ================================================================== BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000010 CPU: 6 UID: 0 PID: 576 Comm: fsstress Not tainted 6.11.0-rc2-dirty #847 RIP: 0010:ext4_split_extent_at+0x6d/0x560 Call Trace: <TASK> ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0xcb/0x1b0 ext4_ext_convert_to_initialized+0x168/0x6c0 ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x325/0x4d0 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x520/0xdb0 ext4_map_blocks+0x2b0/0x690 ext4_iomap_begin+0x20e/0x2c0 [...] ================================================================== Therefore, *orig_path is updated when the extent lookup succeeds, so that the caller can safely use path or *ppath.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-476 CWE-476

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	3.18 — 5.10.227
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.168
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.113
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.55
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.10.14
linux	linux_kernel	6.11 — 6.11.3

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11b230100d6801c014fab2afabc8bdea304c1b96 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b4b2dcace35f618fe361a87bae6f0d13af31bc1 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6766937d0327000ac1b87c97bbecdd28b0dd6599 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6801ed1298204d16a38571091e31178bfdc3c679 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a9fcb1717d75061d3653ed69365c8d45331815cd https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b63481b3a388ee2df9e295f97273226140422a42 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f55ecc58d07a6c1f6d6d5b5af125c25f8da0bda2

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec0c0beb9b777cdd1edd7df9b36e0f3e67e2bdff https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00002.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-49881? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: update orig_path in ext4_find_extent() In ext4_find_extent(), if the path is not big enough, we free it and set *orig_path to NULL. But after reallocating and successfully initializing the path, we don't update *orig_path, in which case the caller gets a valid path but a NULL ppath, and this may cause a NULL pointer dereference or a path memory leak. For example: ext4_split_extent path = *ppath = 2000 ext4_find_extent if (depth > path[0].p_maxdepth) kfree(path = 2000); *orig_path = path = NULL; path = kcalloc() = 3000 ext4_split_extent_at(*ppath = NULL) path = *ppath; ex = path[depth].p_ext; // NULL pointer dereference! ================================================================== BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000010 CPU: 6 UID: 0 PID: 576 Comm: fsstress Not tainted 6.11.0-rc2-dirty #847 RIP: 0010:ext4_split_extent_at+0x6d/0x560 Call Trace: <TASK> ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0xcb/0x1b0 ext4_ext_convert_to_initialized+0x168/0x6c0 ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x325/0x4d0 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x520/0xdb0 ext4_map_blocks+0x2b0/0x690 ext4_iomap_begin+0x20e/0x2c0 [...] ================================================================== Therefore, *orig_path is updated when the extent lookup succeeds, so that the caller can safely use path or *ppath. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-49881? +

CVE-2024-49881 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-49881? +

CVE-2024-49881 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-49881? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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CVE-2024-49881