CVE-2024-53055
📋 TL;DR
A Linux kernel vulnerability in the iwlwifi driver causes an infinite loop when constructing 6 GHz scans if more than 255 colocated access points are detected. This affects systems using Intel Wi-Fi hardware with the vulnerable driver, potentially causing denial of service through system hangs or crashes.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with iwlwifi 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 →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
System becomes completely unresponsive requiring hard reboot, potentially causing data loss or service disruption
Likely Case
Wi-Fi scanning functionality hangs, requiring restart of network services or system reboot
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper monitoring and automated recovery mechanisms in place
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to control Wi-Fi scanning environment with dense AP deployment. No authentication bypass needed but requires network access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 2ac15e5a8f42fed5d90ed9e1197600913678c50f and related fixes
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ac15e5a8f42fed5d90ed9e1197600913678c50f
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from distribution vendor. 2. Rebuild kernel if using custom build. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable 6 GHz scanning
linuxPrevent triggering of vulnerable code path by disabling 6 GHz band scanning
iw reg set US
iw phy phy0 set distance 1000
Limit scan results
linuxConfigure Wi-Fi driver to limit maximum scan results
echo 'options iwlwifi scan_max_attempts=10' > /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to limit exposure to dense Wi-Fi environments
- Deploy monitoring for system hangs and implement automated recovery procedures
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and iwlwifi driver version: uname -r && modinfo iwlwifi | grep versionCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated and contains the fix commits: git log --oneline | grep -E '2ac15e5a8f42|2ccd5badadab|7245012f0f49|cde8a7eb5c67|fc621e7a043d'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- iwlwifi driver timeouts
- System watchdog triggers
- High CPU usage in Wi-Fi processes
Network Indicators:
- Wi-Fi interface becoming unresponsive
- Failed scan attempts
- Network manager service crashes
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "iwlwifi") AND ("scan" OR "6GHz" OR "RNR")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ac15e5a8f42fed5d90ed9e1197600913678c50f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ccd5badadab2d586e91546bf5af3deda07fef1f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7245012f0f496162dd95d888ed2ceb5a35170f1a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cde8a7eb5c6762264ff0f4433358e0a0d250c875
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc621e7a043de346c33bd7ae7e2e0c651d6152ef
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html
