CVE-2024-56617

cacheinfo: Allocate memory during CPU hotplug if not done from the primary CPU

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: December 27, 2024 at 02:51 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 08:12 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cacheinfo: Allocate memory during CPU hotplug if not done from the primary CPU Commit 5944ce092b97 ("arch_topology: Build cacheinfo from primary CPU") adds functionality that architectures can use to optionally allocate and build cacheinfo early during boot. Commit 6539cffa9495 ("cacheinfo: Add arch specific early level initializer") lets secondary CPUs correct (and reallocate memory) cacheinfo data if needed. If the early build functionality is not used and cacheinfo does not need correction, memory for cacheinfo is never allocated. x86 does not use the early build functionality. Consequently, during the cacheinfo CPU hotplug callback, last_level_cache_is_valid() attempts to dereference a NULL pointer: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000100 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEPMT SMP NOPTI CPU: 0 PID 19 Comm: cpuhp/0 Not tainted 6.4.0-rc2 #1 RIP: 0010: last_level_cache_is_valid+0x95/0xe0a Allocate memory for cacheinfo during the cacheinfo CPU hotplug callback if not done earlier. Moreover, before determining the validity of the last-level cache info, ensure that it has been allocated. Simply checking for non-zero cache_leaves() is not sufficient, as some architectures (e.g., Intel processors) have non-zero cache_leaves() before allocation. Dereferencing NULL cacheinfo can occur in update_per_cpu_data_slice_size(). This function iterates over all online CPUs. However, a CPU may have come online recently, but its cacheinfo may not have been allocated yet. While here, remove an unnecessary indentation in allocate_cache_info(). [ bp: Massage. ]

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

6.4 ≤ v < 6.12.56.4 ≤ v < 6.136.4 ≤ v < 6.6.666.7 ≤ v < 6.12.56.13 rc16539cffa94957241c096099a57d05fa4d8c7db8a
Vendor states this is fixed in 23b5908b11b77ff8d7b8f7b8f11cbab2e1f4bfc2 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 95e197354e0de07e9a20819bdae6562e4dda0f20 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in b3fce429a1e030b50c1c91351d69b8667eef627b (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.5 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.13 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.4 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.66 (unaffected)

References (3)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/23b5908b11b77ff8d7b8f7b8f11cbab2e1f4bfc2
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/95e197354e0de07e9a20819bdae6562e4dda0f20
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b3fce429a1e030b50c1c91351d69b8667eef627b

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

5.5MEDIUMCISA-ADP
Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-476

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