CVE-2024-46974
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 · uneditedSoftware installed and run as a non-privileged user may conduct improper read/write operations on imported/exported DMA buffers.
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 · moderate confidenceThis vulnerability allows non-privileged users to perform improper read/write operations on imported/exported DMA (Direct Memory Access) buffers. DMA buffers are typically used for high-speed data transfers between devices and memory, and improper access controls here could enable privilege escalation, memory corruption, or information disclosure.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify kernel version and compare to fixed releasesRun `uname -r` to get the kernel version, then check your distribution's security advisories for CVE-2024-46974 to determine the patched version for your specific kernel.Affected if The running kernel version is older than the version that includes the fix for this vulnerability.
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Locate loaded DMA-related kernel modulesRun `lsmod | grep -i dma` to list loaded modules, and check `/proc/modules` for any modules related to DMA, IOMMU, or DMA-buf operations.Affected if DMA-related modules are loaded and the kernel is unpatched.
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Check DMA buffer subsystem configurationInspect the kernel configuration via `cat /boot/config-$(uname -r) | grep -i dma` or check for the presence of DMA buffer related entries in `/sys/kernel/debug/dma*/` if debugfs is mounted.Affected if DMA buffer support is enabled in the kernel configuration.
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Review device driver permissions for DMA operationsExamine device permissions in `/dev/` and `/sys/class/` for devices that support DMA operations (e.g., GPU drivers, network adapters). Use `ls -la /dev/dri/*` or check permissions on relevant device nodes.Affected if Non-privileged users have read/write access to devices capable of DMA operations.
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Check for IOMMU and DMA isolation settingsRun `dmesg | grep -i iommu` to see if IOMMU is enabled, and check `/sys/class/iommu/` or run `iommuctl` if available to verify DMA remapping is properly configured.Affected if IOMMU is enabled but DMA buffer access controls are not properly enforced.
A system is affected if it runs an unpatched kernel with DMA buffer support enabled and allows non-privileged users access to DMA-capable devices without proper isolation.
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.
From vendor dataImplement proper access control checks to ensure only privileged processes can perform read/write operations on DMA buffers. Verify that DMA buffer imports/exports enforce privilege boundaries and validate user permissions before granting access.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-46974 — 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-2024-46974 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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