CVE-2024-42126: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc: Avoid nmi_enter/nmi_exit in real mode interrupt. nmi_enter()/nmi_exit()...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc: Avoid nmi_enter/nmi_exit in real mode interrupt. nmi_enter()/nmi_exit() touches per cpu variables which can lead to kernel crash when invoked during real mode interrupt handling (e.g. early HMI/MCE interrupt handler) if percpu allocation comes from vmalloc area. Early HMI/MCE handlers are called through DEFINE_INTERRUPT_HANDLER_NMI() wrapper which invokes nmi_enter/nmi_exit calls. We don't see any issue when percpu allocation is from the embedded first chunk. However with CONFIG_NEED_PER_CPU_PAGE_FIRST_CHUNK enabled there are chances where percpu allocation can come from the vmalloc area. With kernel command line "percpu_alloc=page" we can force percpu allocation to come from vmalloc area and can see kernel crash in machine_check_early: [ 1.215714] NIP [c000000000e49eb4] rcu_nmi_enter+0x24/0x110 [ 1.215717] LR [c0000000000461a0] machine_check_early+0xf0/0x2c0 [ 1.215719] --- interrupt: 200 [ 1.215720] [c000000fffd73180] [0000000000000000] 0x0 (unreliable) [ 1.215722] [c000000fffd731b0] [0000000000000000] 0x0 [ 1.215724] [c000000fffd73210] [c000000000008364] machine_check_early_common+0x134/0x1f8 Fix this by avoiding use of nmi_enter()/nmi_exit() in real mode if percpu first chunk is not embedded.

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

0.23%

13.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.10, < 5.10.224
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.11, < 5.15.165
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.16, < 6.1.98
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.2, < 6.6.39
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.7, < 6.9.9

References

Timeline

Published: Jul 30, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-42126?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc: Avoid nmi_enter/nmi_exit in real mode interrupt. nmi_enter()/nmi_exit() touches per cpu variables which can lead to kernel crash when invoked during real mode interrupt handling (e.g. early HMI/MCE interrupt handler) if percpu allocation comes from vmalloc area. Early HMI/MCE handlers are called through DEFINE_INTERRUPT_HANDLER_NMI() wrapper which invokes nmi_enter/nmi_exit calls. We don't see any issue when percpu allocation is from the embedded first chunk. However with CONFIG_NEED_PER_CPU_PAGE_FIRST_CHUNK enabled there are chances where percpu allocation can come from the vmalloc area. With kernel command line "percpu_alloc=page" we can force percpu allocation to come from vmalloc area and can see kernel crash in machine_check_early: [ 1.215714] NIP [c000000000e49eb4] rcu_nmi_enter+0x24/0x110 [ 1.215717] LR [c0000000000461a0] machine_check_early+0xf0/0x2c0 [ 1.215719] --- interrupt: 200 [ 1.215720] [c000000fffd73180] [0000000000000000] 0x0 (unreliable) [ 1.215722] [c000000fffd731b0] [0000000000000000] 0x0 [ 1.215724] [c000000fffd73210] [c000000000008364] machine_check_early_common+0x134/0x1f8 Fix this by avoiding use of nmi_enter()/nmi_exit() in real mode if percpu first chunk is not embedded.

How severe is CVE-2024-42126?

CVE-2024-42126 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.23% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2024-42126?

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.