CVE-2024-53231 – A null pointer dereference vulnerability in the... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-53231?

CVE-2024-53231 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). A null pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's cpufreq CPPC driver could cause kernel crashes or system instability when cpufreq_cpu_get_raw() returns NULL for CPUs not in the policy->cpus mask. This affects Linux systems using the CPPC CPU frequency scaling driver, potentially leading to denial of service.

📋 TL;DR

A null pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's cpufreq CPPC driver could cause kernel crashes or system instability when cpufreq_cpu_get_raw() returns NULL for CPUs not in the policy->cpus mask. This affects Linux systems using the CPPC CPU frequency scaling driver, potentially leading to denial of service.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not specified in CVE, but patches exist in stable kernel trees. Likely affects multiple recent kernel versions with CPPC support.

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using the CPPC (Collaborative Processor Performance Control) driver for CPU frequency scaling, typically on ARM64/AArch64 systems or systems with ACPI CPPC support.

📦 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

Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, requiring physical or remote console access to reboot.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability, application crashes, or service interruptions when the vulnerable code path is triggered during CPU frequency management operations.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor performance impact or isolated process crashes if proper kernel hardening and privilege separation are in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel vulnerability requiring local access or ability to execute code on the system.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Malicious local users or compromised applications could trigger the vulnerability to cause system instability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger the specific code path in the cpufreq subsystem. No known public exploits exist.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (see references). Specific kernel version depends on distribution backports.

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65fe2f7fdafe2698a343661800434b3f2e51041e

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to a patched kernel version from your distribution's repositories. 2. For custom kernels, apply the git commits referenced in the CVE. 3. Reboot the system to load the new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable CPPC driver

linux

Disable the CPPC cpufreq driver if not required, using the intel_pstate or acpi-cpufreq drivers instead.

echo 'blacklist acpi_cpufreq' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-cppc.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access and implement strict privilege separation to limit who can trigger the vulnerable code path.
Implement kernel hardening features like KASLR and strict memory protections to reduce impact if triggered.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if CPPC driver is active: 'cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_driver' should return 'cppc_cpufreq'. Also check kernel version against patched releases.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated to a patched version and confirm the CPPC driver is still functioning: 'dmesg | grep -i cppc' should show no crash-related errors.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
NULL pointer dereference errors mentioning cpufreq_cpu_get_raw() or CPPC

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic" OR "cpufreq_cpu_get_raw")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-53231

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: December 27, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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