CVE-2024-36281: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: Use mlx5_ipsec_rx_status_destroy to correctly delete status rules rx_c...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: Use mlx5_ipsec_rx_status_destroy to correctly delete status rules rx_create no longer allocates a modify_hdr instance that needs to be cleaned up. The mlx5_modify_header_dealloc call will lead to a NULL pointer dereference. A leak in the rules also previously occurred since there are now two rules populated related to status. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 109907067 P4D 109907067 PUD 116890067 PMD 0 Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP CPU: 1 PID: 484 Comm: ip Not tainted 6.9.0-rc2-rrameshbabu+ #254 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS Arch Linux 1.16.3-1-1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:mlx5_modify_header_dealloc+0xd/0x70 <snip> Call Trace: <TASK> ? show_regs+0x60/0x70 ? __die+0x24/0x70 ? page_fault_oops+0x15f/0x430 ? free_to_partial_list.constprop.0+0x79/0x150 ? do_user_addr_fault+0x2c9/0x5c0 ? exc_page_fault+0x63/0x110 ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x27/0x30 ? mlx5_modify_header_dealloc+0xd/0x70 rx_create+0x374/0x590 rx_add_rule+0x3ad/0x500 ? rx_add_rule+0x3ad/0x500 ? mlx5_cmd_exec+0x2c/0x40 ? mlx5_create_ipsec_obj+0xd6/0x200 mlx5e_accel_ipsec_fs_add_rule+0x31/0xf0 mlx5e_xfrm_add_state+0x426/0xc00 <snip>

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.24%

14.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.6.8, < 6.6.33	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.7, < 6.9.4	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	6.10	Rc2

References

Timeline

Published: Jun 21, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-36281?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: Use mlx5_ipsec_rx_status_destroy to correctly delete status rules rx_create no longer allocates a modify_hdr instance that needs to be cleaned up. The mlx5_modify_header_dealloc call will lead to a NULL pointer dereference. A leak in the rules also previously occurred since there are now two rules populated related to status. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 109907067 P4D 109907067 PUD 116890067 PMD 0 Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP CPU: 1 PID: 484 Comm: ip Not tainted 6.9.0-rc2-rrameshbabu+ #254 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS Arch Linux 1.16.3-1-1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:mlx5_modify_header_dealloc+0xd/0x70 <snip> Call Trace: <TASK> ? show_regs+0x60/0x70 ? __die+0x24/0x70 ? page_fault_oops+0x15f/0x430 ? free_to_partial_list.constprop.0+0x79/0x150 ? do_user_addr_fault+0x2c9/0x5c0 ? exc_page_fault+0x63/0x110 ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x27/0x30 ? mlx5_modify_header_dealloc+0xd/0x70 rx_create+0x374/0x590 rx_add_rule+0x3ad/0x500 ? rx_add_rule+0x3ad/0x500 ? mlx5_cmd_exec+0x2c/0x40 ? mlx5_create_ipsec_obj+0xd6/0x200 mlx5e_accel_ipsec_fs_add_rule+0x31/0xf0 mlx5e_xfrm_add_state+0x426/0xc00 <snip>

How severe is CVE-2024-36281?

CVE-2024-36281 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.24% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2024-36281?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.