CVE-2024-50234 – A race condition vulnerability in the Linux ker... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-50234?

CVE-2024-50234 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (HIGH). A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's iwlegacy WiFi driver allows stale interrupts to trigger during system resume from hibernation, causing the WiFi hardware to become unavailable. This affects systems using iwl4965 WiFi hardware with the iwlegacy driver. The vulnerability can lead to denial of service for WiFi connectivity.

📋 TL;DR

A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's iwlegacy WiFi driver allows stale interrupts to trigger during system resume from hibernation, causing the WiFi hardware to become unavailable. This affects systems using iwl4965 WiFi hardware with the iwlegacy driver. The vulnerability can lead to denial of service for WiFi connectivity.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with iwlegacy driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires iwl4965 WiFi hardware and use of hibernation/suspend functionality. Not all Linux systems are 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 →

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

Complete loss of WiFi connectivity requiring system reboot, potentially disrupting network-dependent services and operations.

🟠

Likely Case

WiFi hardware becomes unavailable after resume from hibernation, requiring manual intervention to restore connectivity.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor service interruption during resume that self-corrects or requires driver reload.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local system access and specific hardware/driver combination.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Can disrupt internal network connectivity for affected systems, potentially impacting productivity.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires physical or local access to trigger hibernation/resume cycle. No remote exploitation vector identified.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Linux kernel with commits 07c90acb071b, 23f9cef17ee3, 271d282ecc15, 8ac22fe1e2b1, or 8af8294d369a

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/07c90acb071b9954e1fecb1e4f4f13d12c544b34

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable hibernation

linux

Prevent system from entering hibernation state where the vulnerability triggers

sudo systemctl mask hibernate.target hybrid-sleep.target

Blacklist iwlegacy driver

linux

Prevent loading of vulnerable driver (will disable WiFi on affected hardware)

echo 'blacklist iwlegacy' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-iwlegacy.conf
sudo update-initramfs -u

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Avoid using hibernation/suspend functionality on affected systems
Use alternative WiFi hardware not requiring iwlegacy driver

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if iwlegacy module is loaded and kernel version is before fix: lsmod | grep iwlegacy && uname -r

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits or check dmesg for absence of 'Hardware became unavailable upon resume' errors after hibernation

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Hardware became unavailable upon resume
START_ALIVE timeout
iwl4965 fails upon resume

Network Indicators:

Sudden loss of WiFi connectivity after system resume

SIEM Query:

dmesg OR kernel.log: "Hardware became unavailable upon resume" OR "iwl4965 fails upon resume"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-50234

CVSS v3 Score: 7.0 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-367

Published: November 9, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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