CVE-2024-56549

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cachefiles: Fix NULL pointer dereference in object->file At present, the object->file has the NULL pointer dereference problem in ondemand-mode. The root cause is that the allocated fd and object->file lifetime are inconsistent, and the user-space invocation to anon_fd uses object->file. Following is the process that triggers the issue: [write fd] [umount] cachefiles_ondemand_fd_write_iter fscache_cookie_state_machine cachefiles_withdraw_cookie if (!file) return -ENOBUFS cachefiles_clean_up_object cachefiles_unmark_inode_in_use fput(object->file) object->file = NULL // file NULL pointer dereference! __cachefiles_write(..., file, ...) Fix this issue by add an additional reference count to the object->file before write/llseek, and decrement after it finished.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2024-12-27
Last modified 2025-11-03
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

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

Weakness type

CWE-476

CVE-2024-56549 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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.19 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.11.11, 6.12.2, 6.13 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.19
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.129 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.78 6.6.x ✓ 6.11.11 6.11.x ✓ 6.12.2 6.12.x ✓ 6.13

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2024-56549 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

5 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2024-56549?

    CVE-2024-56549 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.19 onward and has been patched in 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.11.11 and others. CVE-2024-56549 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2024-56549?

    CVE-2024-56549 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2024-56549?

    Yes — CVE-2024-56549 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.11.11 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.19 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2024-56549 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2024-56549 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 →

Back to
All CVEs
View on
NVD / NIST