CVE-2024-43902 – This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference v... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-43902?

CVE-2024-43902 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD display driver component of the Linux kernel. Attackers could potentially cause a kernel panic or system crash by exploiting this flaw, affecting systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with AMD graphics hardware.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD display driver component of the Linux kernel. Attackers could potentially cause a kernel panic or system crash by exploiting this flaw, affecting systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with AMD graphics hardware.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with AMD display driver (drm/amd/display)

Versions: Specific vulnerable kernel versions not explicitly stated in CVE, but patches are available in stable kernel trees.

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires AMD graphics hardware and the affected display driver component to be loaded.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially allowing local privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities.

🟠

Likely Case

System crash or instability when specific display operations are performed, requiring reboot to restore functionality.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper kernel hardening and privilege separation in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local vulnerability requiring access to the system.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could trigger the vulnerability, potentially affecting system stability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger specific display operations. No public exploits known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patched in stable kernel commits: 1686675405d07f35eae7ff3d13a530034b899df2, 4cc2a94d96caeb3c975acdae7351c2f997c32175, 8092aa3ab8f7b737a34b71f91492c676a843043a, 83c7f509ef087041604e9572938f82e18b724c9d, d0b8b23b9c2ebec693a36fea518d8f13493ad655

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1686675405d07f35eae7ff3d13a530034b899df2

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix. 2. Check with your distribution's package manager for kernel updates. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable AMD display driver

linux

Blacklist or disable the affected AMD display driver module

echo 'blacklist amdgpu' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
update-initramfs -u

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to systems with AMD graphics hardware
Implement kernel hardening features like KASLR and strict memory protections

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if AMD display driver is loaded: lsmod | grep amdgpu && uname -r

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated and check dmesg for any display-related crashes after update

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in dmesg or /var/log/kern.log
NULL pointer dereference errors related to display operations

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer" OR "kernel panic" OR "Oops") AND ("display" OR "drm" OR "amdgpu")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-43902

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-476

Published: August 26, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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