CVE-2024-57834 – A null pointer dereference vulnerability in the... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-57834?

CVE-2024-57834 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). A null pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's vidtv media test driver allows local attackers to cause a kernel panic (denial of service) by triggering the vidtv_mux_stop_thread function when the mux structure hasn't been properly initialized. This affects systems using the vidtv driver, primarily developers and testers working with DVB media subsystems.

📋 TL;DR

A null pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's vidtv media test driver allows local attackers to cause a kernel panic (denial of service) by triggering the vidtv_mux_stop_thread function when the mux structure hasn't been properly initialized. This affects systems using the vidtv driver, primarily developers and testers working with DVB media subsystems.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with CONFIG_DVB_VIDTV enabled

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

Operating Systems: Linux distributions with vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable when the vidtv test driver is compiled and loaded (typically not in production systems). This is primarily a development/testing 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

Local attacker causes kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially requiring physical or remote console access to restore functionality.

🟠

Likely Case

System crash or kernel panic when specific DVB media operations fail during initialization, affecting system stability but not data integrity.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor system instability that can be recovered from with proper monitoring and restart procedures.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local vulnerability requiring access to the system; not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could trigger the vulnerability, potentially causing service disruption on affected systems.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger specific DVB media operations. Found via syzkaller fuzzing.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 1221989555db711578a327a9367f1be46500cb48, 2c5601b99d79d196fe4a37159e3dfb38e778ea18, 52d3512f9a7a52ef92864679b1e8e8aa16202c6a, 59a707ad952eb2ea8d59457d662b6f4138f17b08, 86307e443c5844f38e1b98e2c51a4195c55576cd

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1221989555db711578a327a9367f1be46500cb48

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vidtv driver

linux

Remove or disable the CONFIG_DVB_VIDTV kernel configuration option

# Recompile kernel without CONFIG_DVB_VIDTV=y
# Or blacklist module: echo 'blacklist dvb_vidtv' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-vidtv.conf

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to systems where vidtv driver might be loaded
Implement monitoring for kernel panics and have recovery procedures ready

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if vidtv module is loaded: lsmod | grep vidtv AND check kernel version against patched versions

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits: grep -i 'vidtv' /proc/version OR check kernel source for the fix

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
null pointer dereference in kernel logs
segmentation faults in kernel space

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("null-ptr-deref" OR "KASAN" OR "vidtv_mux_stop_thread")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-57834

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

EPSS Score: 0.04% exploit probability (12.8th percentile)

Published: February 27, 2025

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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