CVE-2024-37021
📋 TL;DR
A null pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's FPGA manager subsystem could cause kernel crashes or denial of service. This affects systems using FPGA hardware with vulnerable kernel versions, particularly those where parent devices lack proper driver registration.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially requiring physical reboot.
Likely Case
System instability or crashes when accessing FPGA management functions, causing service disruption.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact from additional refcount checks with no security compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to trigger FPGA manager operations, typically needs local access or compromised process with appropriate permissions.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits: 2da62a139a6221a345db4eb9f4f1c4b0937c89ad, 304f8032d601d4f9322ca841cd0b573bd1beb158, etc.)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2da62a139a6221a345db4eb9f4f1c4b0937c89ad
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to patched kernel version from your distribution vendor. 2. Rebuild kernel if using custom build. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable FPGA manager module
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable FPGA manager subsystem if FPGA functionality not required
echo 'blacklist fpga_mgr' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-fpga.conf
rmmod fpga_mgr
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to FPGA management functions to trusted users only
- Implement monitoring for kernel panic/crash events related to FPGA operations
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if FPGA manager module is loaded: lsmod | grep fpga_mgrCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is patched and check dmesg for any FPGA-related errors after patch📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- NULL pointer dereference in dmesg
- FPGA manager error logs
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "fpga" OR "kernel panic")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2da62a139a6221a345db4eb9f4f1c4b0937c89ad
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/304f8032d601d4f9322ca841cd0b573bd1beb158
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4d4d2d4346857bf778fafaa97d6f76bb1663e3c9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/62ac496a01c9337a11362cea427038ba621ca9eb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2da62a139a6221a345db4eb9f4f1c4b0937c89ad
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4d4d2d4346857bf778fafaa97d6f76bb1663e3c9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/62ac496a01c9337a11362cea427038ba621ca9eb
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html
