Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2024-23851
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 · uneditedcopy_params in drivers/md/dm-ioctl.c in the Linux kernel through 6.7.1 can attempt to allocate more than INT_MAX bytes, and crash, because of a missing param_kernel->data_size check. This is related to ctl_ioctl.
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 confidenceThe copy_params function in drivers/md/dm-ioctl.c lacks validation of the param_kernel->data_size field before memory allocation. An attacker can trigger an allocation attempt exceeding INT_MAX bytes, causing an integer overflow that leads to a kernel crash (denial of service). This exists in Linux kernel versions through 6.7.1.
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
<= 6.7.1CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check kernel versionRun `uname -r` to obtain the running kernel version numberAffected if The version is 6.7.1 or lower (any 6.x version up to and including 6.7.1)
-
Verify Device Mapper module presenceRun `lsmod | grep dm_mod` or check if CONFIG_BLK_DEV_DM is enabled in /boot/config-$(uname -r)Affected if The Device Mapper module is loaded or compiled into the kernel
-
Check for Device Mapper control interfaceRun `ls -la /dev/mapper/control` or check for /sys/class/misc/device-mapper/Affected if The /dev/mapper/control device exists, indicating the dm-ioctl interface is available
-
Identify active Device Mapper devicesRun `dmsetup status` or `ls -la /dev/mapper/` to list active DM devicesAffected if There are active Device Mapper devices (LVM volumes, crypt devices, etc.) present in the environment
-
Inspect vulnerable source fileIf kernel source is available, examine drivers/md/dm-ioctl.c and locate the copy_params function to verify if bounds checking on param_kernel->data_size existsAffected if The copy_params function lacks validation of data_size before the allocation call
You are affected if running Linux kernel 6.7.1 or earlier AND the Device Mapper subsystem is active with accessible ioctl interface.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply the upstream kernel patch that adds proper bounds checking on param_kernel->data_size before the memory allocation in copy_params, and upgrade to a patched kernel version.
Linux Kernel 6.7.2 or later
- 1. Identify the current running kernel version using 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version'
- 2. Check if the current version is <= 6.7.1 (vulnerable)
- 3. Update the system package manager to fetch latest available kernels: on Debian/Ubuntu run 'sudo apt update', on Fedora run 'sudo dnf check-update'
- 4. Install a newer kernel version (6.7.2 or later) using the system's package manager: 'sudo apt install linux-image-generic' (Debian/Ubuntu) or 'sudo dnf kernel' (Fedora)
- 5. Reboot the system to load the new kernel: 'sudo reboot'
- 6. After reboot, verify the new kernel version is running with 'uname -r' and confirm it is > 6.7.1
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
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-23851 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-23851 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
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.
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.
- 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