CVE-2024-49913 – This CVE describes a null pointer dereference v... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-49913?

CVE-2024-49913 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a null pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD display driver within the Linux kernel. If exploited, it could cause a kernel panic or system crash, affecting systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with AMD graphics hardware. The vulnerability requires local access to trigger.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a null pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD display driver within the Linux kernel. If exploited, it could cause a kernel panic or system crash, affecting systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with AMD graphics hardware. The vulnerability requires local access to trigger.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

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

Versions: Specific vulnerable kernel versions not specified in CVE; check commit hashes for affected versions

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...

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 kernel panic requiring reboot, resulting in temporary denial of service.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if the system is patched or if the vulnerable code path isn't triggered.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to trigger, not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could trigger the crash, affecting system availability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger the specific display driver code path. Likely requires user interaction or specific graphics operations.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the fix commits: 1ebfa6663807c144be8c8b6727375012409d2356, 3929e382e4758aff42da0102a60d13337c99d3b8, 40193ff73630adf76bc0d82398f7d90fb576dba4, 66d71a72539e173a9b00ca0b1852cbaa5f5bf1ad, 73efd2a611b62fee71a7b7f27d9d08bb60da8a72

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ebfa6663807c144be8c8b6727375012409d2356

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check with your distribution for specific kernel updates. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable AMD display driver

linux

Remove or blacklist the AMD display driver module to prevent the vulnerable code from loading

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 panics or crashes related to display driver

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and compare with patched versions. Check if AMD display driver is loaded: lsmod | grep amdgpu

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version contains one of the fix commit hashes. Check dmesg for display driver errors after patch.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

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

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic" OR "amdgpu" OR "display driver")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-49913

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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