CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2024-49881 — Linux Linux Kernel security vulnerability

Medium CVSS 5.5

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: update orig_path in ext4_find_extent() In ext4_find_extent(), if the path is not big enough, we free it and set *orig_path to NULL. But after reallocating and successfully initializing the path, we don't update *orig_path, in which case the caller gets a valid path but a NULL ppath, and this may cause a NULL pointer dereference or a path memory leak. For example: ext4_split_extent path = *ppath = 2000 ext4_find_extent if (depth > path[0].p_maxdepth) kfree(path = 2000); *orig_path = path = NULL; path = kcalloc() = 3000 ext4_split_extent_at(*ppath = NULL) path = *ppath; ex = path[depth].p_ext; // NULL pointer dereference! ================================================================== BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000010 CPU: 6 UID: 0 PID: 576 Comm: fsstress Not tainted 6.11.0-rc2-dirty #847 RIP: 0010:ext4_split_extent_at+0x6d/0x560 Call Trace: <TASK> ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0xcb/0x1b0 ext4_ext_convert_to_initialized+0x168/0x6c0 ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x325/0x4d0 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x520/0xdb0 ext4_map_blocks+0x2b0/0x690 ext4_iomap_begin+0x20e/0x2c0 [...] ============…

Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.5 (3.1)
Published
2024-10-21
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
linux/kernel
Weaknesses
CWE-476

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel

Showing 1 representative product identities from 6 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Buffer bounds, memory safety, and memory corruption

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Check exposure

  • Identify affected native-code versions, build flags, architectures, parsers, codecs, drivers, and input paths in all shipped artifacts.
  • Determine whether untrusted data reaches the affected routine and the process privilege, sandbox, and network exposure.
  • Confirm statically linked, vendored, firmware, and platform-provided copies, not only package-manager records.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the maintained upstream correction or replace the affected component, then rebuild every dependent artifact from clean inputs.
  • Adopt bounds-checked interfaces, validated sizes and integer conversions, clear ownership, and memory-safe components where practical.
  • Enable supported compiler and runtime hardening and add sanitized tests and fuzz regression seeds derived from non-weaponized fixtures.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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