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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2024-20040

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-01
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
In wlan firmware, there is a possible out of bounds write due to improper input validation. This could lead to remote escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS08360153 (for MT6XXX chipsets) / WCNCR00363530 (for MT79XX chipsets); Issue ID: MSV-979.

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

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Mediatek WLAN firmware (MT6XXX and MT79XX chipsets) caused by improper input validation allows remote attackers to escalate privileges without user interaction or additional execution privileges.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied firmware patches (ALPS08360153 for MT6XXX, WCNCR00363530 for MT79XX) to all affected devices in the deployment.

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:= 4.19
YoctoApplication
Affected:= 3.3= 4.0
Rdk BApplication
Affected:= 2022q3
AndroidOperating system
Affected:= 12.0= 13.0= 14.0
OpenwrtOperating system
Affected:= 19.07.0= 21.02.0

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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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 Mediatek WLAN hardware presence
    Run 'lspci | grep -i network' or 'lsusb' to list network devices. Look for Mediatek MT6XXX or MT79XX chipset identifiers in the output.
    Affected if Mediatek WLAN hardware with MT6XXX or MT79XX chipset is present
  2. Check Mediatek WLAN firmware version
    Use vendor-specific tools or check /proc/mtk_wed/wo_api_version (if available), or consult device documentation/specs for the installed firmware version.
    Affected if Firmware version cannot be verified or is not at the patched revision (ALPS08360153 for MT6XXX, WCNCR00363530 for MT79XX)
  3. Verify operating system version
    Run 'uname -r' for kernel version, or check system info for Android (Settings > About Phone), Yocto, OpenWRT, or RDK-B version.
    Affected if OS version matches exact affected versions: Linux Kernel 4.19, Yocto 3.3 or 4.0, RDK-B 2022q3, Android 12.0/13.0/14.0, or OpenWRT 19.07.0/21.02.0
  4. Confirm WLAN interface is active
    Run 'ip link show' or 'ifconfig -a' to list network interfaces, then check if a WLAN interface exists and is enabled.
    Affected if WLAN interface exists and uses the vulnerable Mediatek chipset

The environment is affected if it uses Mediatek MT6XXX or MT79XX WLAN hardware with firmware versions prior to ALPS08360153 or WCNCR00363530, running on one of the specified OS versions.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied firmware patches (ALPS08360153 for MT6XXX, WCNCR00363530 for MT79XX) to all affected devices in the deployment.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Firmware version containing MediaTek patch ALPS08360153 (MT6XXX) or WCNCR00363530 (MT79XX); Android security patch November 2024 or later

  1. 1. Identify the affected MediaTek chipset model (MT6XXX or MT79XX series) in the target device
  2. 2. Obtain the firmware update containing the MediaTek patch: ALPS08360153 (for MT6XXX chipsets) or WCNCR00363530 (for MT79XX chipsets)
  3. 3. Apply the firmware update through the device vendor's standard firmware upgrade process
  4. 4. Verify the firmware version matches the patched release
  5. 5. For Android devices, ensure the November 2024 or later security patch level is installed which includes this fix
  6. 6. For Linux/Yocto/OpenWrt/RDK systems, ensure the wlan-firmware package is updated to the version containing the fixed MediaTek firmware
Caveat Firmware updates may require device restart; ensure backup of current firmware configuration before applying update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2024-20040 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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