CVE-2024-39497 – A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DRM subsy... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-39497?

CVE-2024-39497 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DRM subsystem allows users to trigger a kernel panic by creating copy-on-write mappings with write permissions. This affects all Linux systems using DRM drivers with default shmem helpers, potentially causing denial of service.

📋 TL;DR

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DRM subsystem allows users to trigger a kernel panic by creating copy-on-write mappings with write permissions. This affects all Linux systems using DRM drivers with default shmem helpers, potentially causing denial of service.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with DRM subsystem

Versions: Kernel versions before fixes in stable releases (specific commits provided in references)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All DRM drivers using default shmem helpers are affected. Requires user access to create DRM mappings.

📦 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 →

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, requiring physical or remote reboot.

🟠

Likely Case

Local denial of service through kernel panic, disrupting system availability.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if patched or if users lack local access to create DRM mappings.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to exploit; not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or compromised accounts can cause system crashes.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Simple proof-of-concept code provided in CVE description. Requires local user access to execute.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits: 03c71c42809ef4b17f5d874cdb2d3bf40e847b86, 1b4a8b89bf6787090b56424d269bf84ba00c3263, 2219e5f97244b79c276751a1167615b9714db1b0, 39bc27bd688066a63e56f7f64ad34fae03fbe3b8, 3ae63a8c1685e16958560ec08d30defdc5b9cca0

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03c71c42809ef4b17f5d874cdb2d3bf40e847b86

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict user access to DRM devices

linux

Limit which users can access DRM devices to reduce attack surface.

chmod 600 /dev/dri/*
setfacl -m u:username:r-- /dev/dri/*

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict access controls on DRM device files
Monitor for suspicious mmap calls with PROT_WRITE and MAP_PRIVATE flags

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if DRM subsystem is loaded: uname -r && lsmod | grep drm

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated and test mmap with PROT_WRITE|MAP_PRIVATE on DRM device (not recommended in production).

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in dmesg or system logs
Process crashes related to mmap operations

Network Indicators:

None - local exploit only

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND "BUG_ON" AND "vmf_insert_pfn_prot" OR source="kernel" AND "panic" AND "drm"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-39497

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

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

CWE: CWE-617

Published: July 12, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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