CVE-2024-46714 – This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference v... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-46714?

CVE-2024-46714 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 triggering this condition, affecting systems using AMD graphics hardware with the vulnerable driver.

📋 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 triggering this condition, affecting systems using AMD graphics hardware with the vulnerable driver.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

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

Versions: Linux kernel versions containing the vulnerable code before the fix commits

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with AMD graphics hardware using the vulnerable display driver component.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially causing data loss or system instability.

🟠

Likely Case

System crash or instability when specific display operations are performed with AMD graphics hardware.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor system instability that is quickly recovered from automatic kernel protections.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or specific display operations, not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could trigger the vulnerability, potentially causing system-wide disruption.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

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

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Linux kernel with commits 0364f1f17a86d89dc39040beea4f099e60189f1b or later

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0364f1f17a86d89dc39040beea4f099e60189f1b

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version with 'uname -r'.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable AMD display hardware acceleration

linux

Temporarily disable AMD display hardware features to avoid triggering vulnerable code path

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

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to systems with AMD graphics hardware
Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to display operations

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if AMD graphics hardware is present: 'lspci | grep -i amd' and 'uname -r'

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits: 'uname -r' and check kernel changelog for commit hashes

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
AMD display driver crash logs

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer" OR "kernel panic" OR "amdgpu" OR "drm/amd")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-46714

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: September 18, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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