CVE-2024-57927
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NFS client implementation can cause kernel oops (system crash) when netfslib attempts to copy data to cache. This affects Linux systems using NFS with kernel caching enabled. The vulnerability requires local access to trigger.
💻 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 →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, potentially causing data loss or service disruption.
Likely Case
Local denial of service through kernel oops when NFS caching operations are performed, requiring system reboot to recover.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper access controls limiting local user access to affected systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
Local access required. Exploitation involves triggering specific NFS caching operations that cause the NULL pointer dereference.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees via git commits 13a07cc81e2d116cece727a83746c74b87a9d417 and 86ad1a58f6a9453f49e06ef957a40a8dac00a13f
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13a07cc81e2d116cece727a83746c74b87a9d417
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable NFS caching
linuxPrevent netfslib from caching NFS data to avoid triggering the vulnerable code path
echo 0 > /proc/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_caching_enabled
mount -o noac /path/to/nfs/mount
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems using NFS
- Monitor for kernel oops/panic events and investigate NFS-related crashes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and NFS configuration. Vulnerable if using affected kernel with NFS caching enabled.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated beyond patched commits and test NFS operations with caching.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
- NFS-related crash reports
- System reboot events without clear cause
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("oops" OR "NULL pointer dereference") AND "nfs"