CVE-2024-57981 – A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-57981?

CVE-2024-57981 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's xHCI USB driver can cause kernel crashes when certain USB commands are aborted. This affects Linux systems using the xHCI USB controller. The vulnerability leads to denial of service but not privilege escalation.

📋 TL;DR

A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's xHCI USB driver can cause kernel crashes when certain USB commands are aborted. This affects Linux systems using the xHCI USB controller. The vulnerability leads to denial of service but not privilege escalation.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not specified in CVE; check kernel commits for exact ranges.

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires xHCI USB controller usage; vulnerability triggered by specific USB command abortion scenarios.

📦 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 reboot.

🟠

Likely Case

System crash when specific USB command abortion scenarios occur, causing temporary unavailability.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if patched; unpatched systems may experience crashes under specific USB command conditions.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local USB device interaction, not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local USB device access could trigger crashes, affecting system availability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: HIGH - Requires specific USB device interaction and timing.

Exploitation requires physical or virtual USB device access to trigger command abortion scenarios.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 0ce5c0dac768be14afe2426101b568a0f66bfc4d or later

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ce5c0dac768be14afe2426101b568a0f66bfc4d

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version matches patched commit.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable USB controllers

linux

Temporarily disable xHCI USB controllers if not needed.

echo 'blacklist xhci_hcd' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-xhci.conf
reboot

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict physical USB device access to trusted devices only.
Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to USB commands.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and compare with patched commits; examine if xHCI driver is loaded.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes the fix commit; test with USB device that previously triggered issue.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
USB command abortion logs

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND "NULL pointer dereference" AND "xhci"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-57981

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: 0.06% exploit probability (18.6th percentile)

Published: February 27, 2025

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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