CVE-2024-42144
📋 TL;DR
This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the MediaTek LVTS thermal driver in the Linux kernel. If exploited, it could cause a kernel panic or system crash on affected systems. This affects Linux systems using MediaTek processors with the vulnerable thermal driver.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with MediaTek LVTS thermal 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 denial of service, potentially requiring physical reboot.
Likely Case
System instability or crash when thermal management operations are performed on affected hardware.
If Mitigated
Minor system instability that may be recoverable without full reboot.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access or ability to trigger thermal driver operations. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 79ef1a5593fdb8aa4dbccf6085c48f1739338bc9, a1191a77351e25ddf091bb1a231cae12ee598b5d, fd7ae1cabfedd727be5bee774c87acbc7b10b886
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/79ef1a5593fdb8aa4dbccf6085c48f1739338bc9
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check with your distribution for specific patched kernel versions. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable LVTS thermal driver
linuxTemporarily disable the vulnerable driver if not needed
echo 'blacklist lvts_thermal' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod lvts_thermal
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems with vulnerable hardware
- Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to thermal management
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if lvts_thermal module is loaded: lsmod | grep lvts_thermal. Check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits. Check dmesg for thermal driver errors after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
- Thermal driver crash logs
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer" OR "kernel panic" OR "lvts_thermal")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/79ef1a5593fdb8aa4dbccf6085c48f1739338bc9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1191a77351e25ddf091bb1a231cae12ee598b5d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd7ae1cabfedd727be5bee774c87acbc7b10b886
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/79ef1a5593fdb8aa4dbccf6085c48f1739338bc9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1191a77351e25ddf091bb1a231cae12ee598b5d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd7ae1cabfedd727be5bee774c87acbc7b10b886
