CVE-2024-46693
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in Linux kernel's Qualcomm PMIC Glink drivers allows NULL pointer dereference during initialization. This can cause kernel panics or system crashes on affected devices. The vulnerability affects Linux systems with Qualcomm PMIC Glink drivers, particularly those using protection domain registry functionality.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Qualcomm PMIC Glink drivers (pmic_glink, altmode, battery manager, UCSI)
📦 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 →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 restart of affected devices.
Likely Case
System instability or crashes during driver initialization, particularly on devices with protection domain registry enabled.
If Mitigated
Minor system instability during boot or driver initialization that may self-recover or require restart.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires precise timing during driver initialization and specific system configuration. No known public exploits.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 1efdbf5323c9360e05066049b97414405e94e087, 3568affcddd68743e25aa3ec1647d9b82797757b, 943b0e7cc646a624bb20a68080f8f1a4a55df41c
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1efdbf5323c9360e05066049b97414405e94e087
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing fix commits. 2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source. 3. Reboot system to load patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable affected drivers
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable PMIC Glink drivers if not required
echo 'blacklist pmic_glink' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
echo 'blacklist pmic_glink_altmode' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
echo 'blacklist pmic_glink_battery' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
echo 'blacklist pmic_glink_ucsi' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor system logs for kernel panics related to PMIC Glink drivers
- Implement system health monitoring with automatic recovery/restart procedures
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if kernel has vulnerable PMIC Glink drivers loaded: lsmod | grep -i pmic_glinkCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version includes fix commits: uname -r and verify against patched kernel versions📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages containing 'pmic_glink'
- NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
- System crash/reboot events during driver initialization
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local kernel vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("pmic_glink" OR "NULL pointer dereference")