CVE-2024-44999 – This CVE describes a kernel memory corruption v... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-44999?

CVE-2024-44999 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (HIGH). This CVE describes a kernel memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's GTP (GPRS Tunneling Protocol) implementation. Attackers could exploit uninitialized memory access in gtp_dev_xmit() to cause kernel crashes or potentially execute arbitrary code. Systems using GTP tunneling (common in mobile networks) with affected Linux kernel versions are vulnerable.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a kernel memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's GTP (GPRS Tunneling Protocol) implementation. Attackers could exploit uninitialized memory access in gtp_dev_xmit() to cause kernel crashes or potentially execute arbitrary code. Systems using GTP tunneling (common in mobile networks) with affected Linux kernel versions are vulnerable.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not explicitly stated in CVE, but references indicate fixes in stable kernel trees. Likely affects multiple recent versions before fixes.

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires GTP module loaded/configured. Not all Linux systems use GTP tunneling.

📦 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...

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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 →

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, or potential arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges resulting in complete system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel panic causing denial of service, system instability, or information disclosure through uninitialized memory reads.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if GTP functionality is disabled or systems are properly segmented.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Requires GTP traffic exposure, which is common in telecom/mobile infrastructure but not typical for general internet servers.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal systems using GTP tunneling (mobile core networks, VPNs) could be vulnerable to internal attackers.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires sending specially crafted GTP packets to vulnerable systems. The vulnerability was discovered through fuzzing (syzbot).

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in stable kernel commits: 137d565ab89ce3584503b443bc9e00d44f482593, 1f6b62392453d8f36685d19b761307a8c5617ac1, 34ba4f29f3d9eb52dee37512059efb2afd7e966f, 3939d787139e359b77aaf9485d1e145d6713d7b9, 3a3be7ff9224f424e485287b54be00d2c6bd9c40

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/137d565ab89ce3584503b443bc9e00d44f482593

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable GTP module

linux

Unload GTP kernel module if not required

sudo rmmod gtp

Block GTP traffic

linux

Use firewall to block GTP protocol (UDP port 2152 and GTP-C port 2123)

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 2152 -j DROP
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 2123 -j DROP

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Segment networks to isolate GTP traffic to trusted systems only.
Implement strict firewall rules to limit GTP traffic to necessary sources.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if GTP module is loaded: lsmod | grep gtp. Check kernel version against patched versions.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated to include the fix commits. Test GTP functionality if required.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic logs
OOM killer messages
System crash/reboot events

Network Indicators:

Unusual GTP packet patterns
High volume of GTP traffic to single host

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "BUG") AND ("gtp" OR "GTP")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-44999

CVSS v3 Score: 7.1 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-908

Published: September 4, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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