CVE-2024-49896 – This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference v... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-49896?

CVE-2024-49896 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD GPU display driver within the Linux kernel. The vulnerability occurs when the amdgpu_dm component passes a null stream to the dc_is_stream_unchanged function without proper validation. This affects Linux systems with AMD graphics hardware using the affected kernel versions.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD GPU display driver within the Linux kernel. The vulnerability occurs when the amdgpu_dm component passes a null stream to the dc_is_stream_unchanged function without proper validation. This affects Linux systems with AMD graphics hardware using the affected kernel versions.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

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

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

Operating Systems: Linux distributions with affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires AMD GPU hardware and the amdgpu driver to be active. Systems without AMD graphics or with the driver disabled are not affected.

📦 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 or system crash leading to denial of service, potentially allowing local privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability or crash when specific display operations are performed, resulting in denial of service.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor system instability that may cause display issues or application crashes without full system compromise.

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

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

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires local access and specific conditions to trigger the null pointer dereference. No public exploits are known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Linux kernel versions containing commits 0167d570f6a0b38689c4a0e50bf79c518d827500 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0167d570f6a0b38689c4a0e50bf79c518d827500

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to a version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel packages. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable AMD GPU driver

linux

Temporarily disable the amdgpu driver to prevent vulnerability trigger

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

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to systems with AMD GPUs
Monitor system logs for kernel panic or crash events related to display operations

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if amdgpu module is loaded: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep amdgpu'

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits or is newer than vulnerable versions. Check dmesg for amdgpu/drm errors after patch.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

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

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

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

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-49896

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: October 21, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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