CVE-2024-46844 – This CVE addresses an uninitialized pointer vul... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-46844?

CVE-2024-46844 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This CVE addresses an uninitialized pointer vulnerability in the Linux kernel's UML (User-Mode Linux) line driver. Attackers could potentially exploit this to cause kernel crashes or information disclosure. Only systems running User-Mode Linux with the affected line driver are vulnerable.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE addresses an uninitialized pointer vulnerability in the Linux kernel's UML (User-Mode Linux) line driver. Attackers could potentially exploit this to cause kernel crashes or information disclosure. Only systems running User-Mode Linux with the affected line driver are vulnerable.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with UML (User-Mode Linux) support

Versions: Specific affected kernel versions not specified in CVE, but patches available for stable kernel trees

Operating Systems: Linux distributions with UML enabled

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable if UML is compiled/enabled and line driver is used

📦 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 denial of service, or potential information disclosure from kernel memory

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel crash or system instability when using UML line driver functionality

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact as UML is typically used in development/testing environments

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - UML is rarely deployed in production internet-facing systems

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could affect internal development/testing systems using UML

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires UML access and ability to trigger the vulnerable code path

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patched in stable kernel releases via provided git commits

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/289979d64573f43df1d0e6bc6435de63a0d69cdf

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to patched kernel version from your distribution. 2. Recompile kernel if using custom build. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable UML line driver

linux

Remove or disable UML line driver module if not needed

modprobe -r uml_line
echo 'blacklist uml_line' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Disable UML entirely

linux

Disable UML kernel support if not required

Remove UML configuration from kernel build/compile options

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict access to UML functionality to trusted users only
Monitor systems for kernel crashes or unusual behavior related to UML

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if UML is enabled: 'lsmod | grep uml' or check kernel config for CONFIG_UML

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes the git commit hashes from references

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
UML-related crash logs in dmesg
System instability when using UML

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for: 'kernel panic' OR 'UML' OR 'line driver' in system logs

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-46844

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-824

Published: September 27, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2024-46844, you might also want to check these: