CVE-2024-35960

Critical

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: Properly link new fs rules into the tree Previously, add_rule_fg would only add newly created rules from the handle into the tree when they had a refcount of 1. On the other hand, create_flow_handle tries hard to find and reference already existing identical rules instead of creating new ones. These two behaviors can result in a situation where create_flow_handle 1) creates a new rule and references it, then 2) in a subsequent step during the same handle creation references it again, resulting in a rule with a refcount of 2 that is not linked into the tree, will have a NULL parent and root and will result in a crash when the flow group is deleted because del_sw_hw_rule, invoked on rule deletion, assumes node->parent is != NULL. This happened in the wild, due to another bug related to incorrect handling of duplicate pkt_reformat ids, which lead to the code in create_flow_handle incorrectly referencing a just-added rule in the same flow handle, resulting in the problem described above. Full details are at [1]. This patch changes add_rule_fg to add new rules without parents into the tree, properly initializing them and avoiding the crash. This makes it more consistent with how rules are added to an FTE in create_flow_handle.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2024-05-20
Last modified 2026-05-12
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Awaiting data

CVSS 3.1 score

9.1

out of 10
Critical
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-476

CVE-2024-35960 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability

What is NULL Pointer Dereference?

The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2024-35960 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2024-35960?

    CVE-2024-35960 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.1 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . CVE-2024-35960 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2024-35960?

    CVE-2024-35960 has a CVSS score of 9.1 out of 10, rated Critical severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2024-35960?

    No patch is currently available for CVE-2024-35960. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.

  • Is CVE-2024-35960 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2024-35960 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?

    The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →