CVE-2024-56774: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: add a sanity check for btrfs root in btrfs_search_slot() Syzbot reports a null-ptr-deref in btrfs_search_slot(). The reproducer is using rescue=ibadroots, and the extent tree root is corrupted thus the extent tree is NULL. When scrub tries to search the extent tree to gather the needed extent info, btrfs_search_slot() doesn't check if the target root is NULL or not, resulting the null-ptr-deref. Add sanity check for btrfs root before using it in btrfs_search_slot().

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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	5.11 — 5.15.174
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.120
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.64
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.4
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ed51857a50f530ac7a1482e069dfbd1298558d4 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/757171d1369b3b47f36932d40a05a0715496dcab https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93992c3d9629b02dccf6849238559d5c24f2dece https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c71d114ef68c95da5a82ec85a721ab31f5bd905b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/db66fb87c21e8ae724886e6a464dcbac562a64c6

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-56774? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: add a sanity check for btrfs root in btrfs_search_slot() Syzbot reports a null-ptr-deref in btrfs_search_slot(). The reproducer is using rescue=ibadroots, and the extent tree root is corrupted thus the extent tree is NULL. When scrub tries to search the extent tree to gather the needed extent info, btrfs_search_slot() doesn't check if the target root is NULL or not, resulting the null-ptr-deref. Add sanity check for btrfs root before using it in btrfs_search_slot(). It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-56774? +

CVE-2024-56774 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-2024-56774? +

CVE-2024-56774 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-2024-56774? +

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-2024-56774