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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2024-50048

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.1.113 / 6.6.57 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available

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 the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbcon: Fix a NULL pointer dereference issue in fbcon_putcs syzbot has found a NULL pointer dereference bug in fbcon. Here is the simplified C reproducer: struct param { uint8_t type; struct tiocl_selection ts; }; int main() { struct fb_con2fbmap con2fb; struct param param; int fd = open("/dev/fb1", 0, 0); con2fb.console = 0x19; con2fb.framebuffer = 0; ioctl(fd, FBIOPUT_CON2FBMAP, &con2fb); param.type = 2; param.ts.xs = 0; param.ts.ys = 0; param.ts.xe = 0; param.ts.ye = 0; param.ts.sel_mode = 0; int fd1 = open("/dev/tty1", O_RDWR, 0); ioctl(fd1, TIOCLINUX, &param); con2fb.console = 1; con2fb.framebuffer = 0; ioctl(fd, FBIOPUT_CON2FBMAP, &con2fb); return 0; } After calling ioctl(fd1, TIOCLINUX, &param), the subsequent ioctl(fd, FBIOPUT_CON2FBMAP, &con2fb) causes the kernel to follow a different execution path: set_con2fb_map -> con2fb_init_display -> fbcon_set_disp -> redraw_screen -> hide_cursor -> clear_selection -> highlight -> invert_screen -> do_update_region -> fbcon_putcs -> ops->putcs Since ops->putcs is a NULL pointer, this leads to a kernel panic. To prevent this, we need to call set_blitting_type() within set_con2fb_map() to properly initialize ops->putcs.

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
How this class of weakness works · CWE-476

The code follows a pointer that is null, crashing the process. An attacker who can reliably trigger it turns the crash into a denial of service. The fix is checking for null before use and handling the failure path gracefully.

General guidance for the null pointer dereference class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

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:< 6.1.113>= 6.2, < 6.6.57>= 6.7, < 6.11.4

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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.1.113 / 6.6.57 / 6.11.4 or later
Fixed in 6.1.1136.6.576.11.4
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux kernel 6.1.113, 6.6.57, or 6.11.4 (whichever stable branch applies)

  1. Identify the current running Linux kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. Determine which stable branch fits your current version based on the affected ranges: 6.1.x, 6.2-6.6.x, or 6.7-6.11.x
  3. Upgrade the Linux kernel to a fixed version: 6.1.113 or later for 6.1.x, 6.6.57 or later for 6.2-6.6.x, or 6.11.4 or later for 6.7-6.11.x
  4. Apply the vendor patch from commit 5b97eebcce1b4f3f07a71f635d6aa3af96c236e7 if building a custom kernel, which adds a call to set_blitting_type() within set_con2fb_map() to initialize ops->putcs
  5. Reboot the system into the new kernel
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require rebuilding out-of-tree modules and could introduce regressions in hardware drivers; ensure backup and test in non-production environment first

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

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $2,850. Get the upgrade done

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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-2024-50048 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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