CVE-2024-50197
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Intel pinctrl driver. When the device_for_each_child_node() function encounters an error and returns early, it fails to properly release memory references, potentially causing kernel memory exhaustion over time. This affects systems using Intel platform pin control hardware with vulnerable kernel versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Intel pinctrl driver
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or kernel panic/crash.
Likely Case
Memory leak gradually consumes kernel resources, potentially leading to performance degradation or system instability over extended periods.
If Mitigated
With proper monitoring and memory limits, impact is limited to potential performance issues that can be detected and addressed before system failure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering the specific error path in the pinctrl driver, which may require specific hardware conditions or driver configuration.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits 16a6d2e685e8f9a2f51dd5a363d3f97fcad35e22 and be3f7b9f995a6c2ee02767a0319929a2a98adf69)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16a6d2e685e8f9a2f51dd5a363d3f97fcad35e22
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to a patched kernel version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot the system to load the new kernel. 3. Verify the patch is applied by checking kernel version or commit hash.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Intel pinctrl module
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable driver module if not required
echo 'blacklist pinctrl_intel' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-pinctrl-intel.conf
rmmod pinctrl_intel
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor kernel memory usage and system stability metrics for signs of memory leaks
- Implement system resource limits and restart policies for critical services
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and verify if patches are applied. Vulnerable if using unpatched kernel with Intel pinctrl driver.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits or check with 'modinfo pinctrl_intel' for version information📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages
- Memory allocation failures in kernel logs
- System instability or crash reports
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local kernel vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "kernel panic" OR "Oops")