dbcve.org
Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2007-6694

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-01-29
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
87/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The chrp_show_cpuinfo function (chrp/setup.c) in Linux kernel 2.4.21 through 2.6.18-53, when running on PowerPC, might allow local users to cause a denial of service (crash) via unknown vectors that cause the of_get_property function to fail, which triggers a NULL pointer dereference.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In Linux kernel 2.4.21 through 2.6.18-53 running on PowerPC, the chrp_show_cpuinfo function in chrp/setup.c fails to properly handle errors from of_get_property. When this function fails, it returns without appropriate error handling, leading to a NULL pointer dereference that causes a kernel crash (DoS).

MitigationApply kernel patches or upgrade to a kernel version beyond 2.6.18-53 that includes proper NULL pointer validation in the chrp_show_cpuinfo function. For legacy systems, add explicit NULL checks before dereferencing the of_get_property return value.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:= 2.4.3= 2.4.4= 2.4.5= 2.4.6= 2.4.7= 2.4.8= 2.4.9= 2.4.9_pre5= 2.4.21= 2.4.22= 2.4.23= 2.4.23_ow2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to determine the installed kernel version
    Affected if Kernel version is 2.4.3 through 2.4.23_ow2, or falls between 2.4.21 and 2.6.18-53 as stated in the summary
  2. Confirm PowerPC architecture
    Run 'uname -m' or check /proc/cpuinfo to verify the system is running on PowerPC hardware
    Affected if Architecture is powerpc, ppc64, or similar PowerPC variant
  3. Locate vulnerable source file
    Check if the file arch/powerpc/platforms/chrp/setup.c (or arch/ppc/platforms/chrp/setup.c for older kernels) exists in the kernel source tree
    Affected if The chrp_show_cpuinfo function is present in the source tree and the kernel version is within the affected range
  4. Inspect of_get_property error handling
    Examine the chrp_show_cpuinfo function in chrp/setup.c for lack of NULL check on of_get_property return value
    Affected if The function directly uses the return value from of_get_property without validating it is not NULL

System is affected if running a Linux kernel between 2.4.21 and 2.6.18-53 (or listed versions) on PowerPC architecture with the vulnerable chrp_show_cpuinfo function lacking proper NULL pointer validation.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply kernel patches or upgrade to a kernel version beyond 2.6.18-53 that includes proper NULL pointer validation in the chrp_show_cpuinfo function. For legacy systems, add explicit NULL checks before dereferencing the of_get_property return value.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2007-6694 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2007-6694 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data