CVE-2024-50213
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DRM (Direct Rendering Manager) subsystem. When the drm_hdmi_state_helper_test kernel module is loaded and unloaded, it fails to free memory allocated for display modes, causing kernel memory exhaustion over time. This affects Linux systems with DRM graphics drivers.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 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
Repeated module loading/unloading could exhaust kernel memory, leading to system instability, crashes, or denial of service.
Likely Case
Memory leak during testing or development scenarios, causing gradual memory consumption but unlikely to be triggered in production without specific test module usage.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact as the vulnerable code is in test infrastructure, not production graphics paths.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires root privileges to load kernel modules; memory leak only occurs during specific test operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits 3bc3fae8a0f22e0e713729b50e2111f6a8c64724 and add4163aca0d4a86e9fe4aa513865e4237db8aef)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3bc3fae8a0f22e0e713729b50e2111f6a8c64724
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable test module loading
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable drm_hdmi_state_helper_test module
echo 'install drm_hdmi_state_helper_test /bin/false' >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-drm-test.conf
rmmod drm_hdmi_state_helper_test 2>/dev/null || true
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Avoid loading/unloading drm_hdmi_state_helper_test module
- Monitor kernel memory usage for unusual leaks
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if drm_hdmi_state_helper_test module is loaded: lsmod | grep drm_hdmi_state_helper_testCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version includes patches: uname -r and verify with distribution patch notes📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel OOM (Out of Memory) messages in dmesg
- kmemleak reports for drm_display_mode_from_cea_vic
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
Search for: 'drm_hdmi_state_helper_test' OR 'drm_display_mode_from_cea_vic' in kernel logs