CVE-2024-49907 – This vulnerability is a NULL pointer dereferenc... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-49907?

CVE-2024-49907 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This vulnerability is a NULL pointer dereference in the AMD display driver component of the Linux kernel. It could cause a kernel panic or system crash when specific display operations are performed. Systems using affected AMD graphics hardware with vulnerable kernel versions are at risk.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability is a NULL pointer dereference in the AMD display driver component of the Linux kernel. It could cause a kernel panic or system crash when specific display operations are performed. Systems using affected AMD graphics hardware with vulnerable kernel versions are at risk.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

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

Versions: Specific kernel versions containing the vulnerable code (check git commits for exact ranges)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions with vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires AMD graphics hardware and the affected display driver code path to be triggered.

📦 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 →

⚠️ 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 performing display operations, requiring reboot to restore functionality.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if the vulnerable code path is not triggered or if proper kernel hardening is in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel vulnerability requiring local access or privilege escalation to trigger.

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

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger specific display operations. Likely used for denial of service rather than privilege escalation.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the fix commits: 3f7e533c10db3d0158709a99e2129ff63add6bcd, 5ba3fbf75b243b2863a8be9e7c393e003d3b88f3, 8d54001f8dccd56146973f23f3ab2ba037a21251, 95d9e0803e51d5a24276b7643b244c7477daf463, 9641bc4adf8446034e490ed543ae7e9833cfbdf5

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f7e533c10db3d0158709a99e2129ff63add6bcd

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to a kernel version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager to update kernel (e.g., apt update && apt upgrade linux-image). 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable display features

linux

Avoid triggering the vulnerable code path by disabling specific display power optimizations if possible

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to systems with vulnerable kernels
Implement kernel hardening features like KASLR and stack protection

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and whether it contains the vulnerable AMD display driver code. Use 'uname -r' and check kernel source for the specific commits.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated to one containing the fix commits. Check that the null pointer check is present in the dcn35_apply_idle_power_optimizations function.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
NULL pointer dereference errors in kernel logs

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer" OR "kernel panic" OR "Oops")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-49907

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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