CVE-2024-42083
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ionic network driver allows kernel panic when handling multi-buffer packets with XDP_TX or XDP_REDIRECT actions. This affects systems using the ionic driver with XDP enabled, potentially causing denial of service. The vulnerability is triggered when jumbo frames are processed incorrectly.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with ionic network driver
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and complete denial of service, requiring physical or remote console access to reboot.
Likely Case
System instability and crashes when processing network traffic with jumbo frames using XDP_TX or XDP_REDIRECT actions.
If Mitigated
No impact if XDP is disabled or if jumbo frames are not used with the ionic driver.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted network packets to trigger the condition. No public exploit code has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits 8ae401525ae84228a8986bb369224a6224e4d22f and e3f02f32a05009a688a87f5799e049ed6b55bab5
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ae401525ae84228a8986bb369224a6224e4d22f
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to a kernel version containing the fix commits. 2. Check your distribution's security advisories for patched kernel packages. 3. Reboot the system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable XDP on ionic interfaces
linuxPrevent the vulnerable code path by disabling XDP on ionic network interfaces
ip link set dev <interface> xdp off
Disable jumbo frames
linuxConfigure interfaces to not use jumbo frames to avoid the multi-buffer handling issue
ip link set dev <interface> mtu 1500
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network filtering to block jumbo frames to affected systems
- Consider replacing ionic hardware with alternative network interfaces if feasible
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if ionic driver is loaded: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep ionic'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits or check with distribution-specific security tools📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages in /var/log/messages or dmesg
- General protection fault errors mentioning ionic driver
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic patterns with jumbo frames
- Sudden network interface failures
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("general protection fault" OR "kernel panic") AND "ionic"