Kernel crash via unchecked workqueue allocation failure
Published Feb 25, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the Radeon display driver in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to crash the kernel. radeon_crtc_init stores the unchecked result of alloc_workqueue as the page-flip queue, allowing a failed allocation to leave a NULL queue pointer that later code dereferences. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an allocation failure during Radeon CRTC initialization; the documented consequence is limited to loss of availability.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Radeon display driver in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to crash the kernel. radeon_crtc_init stores the unchecked result of alloc_workqueue as the page-flip queue, allowing a failed allocation to leave a NULL queue pointer that later code dereferences. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an allocation failure during Radeon CRTC initialization; the documented consequence is limited to loss of availability.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52470
- Published
- Feb 25, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 25, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=3.16
- Affected versionversion=fa7f517cb26eb1a1a1f0baffcced39f6c3ec3337 <0b813a6a0087451cb702b6eb841f10856f49d088
- Affected versionversion=fa7f517cb26eb1a1a1f0baffcced39f6c3ec3337 <14bbfaa5df273b26cde6707f6e655585700e6fe1
- Affected versionversion=fa7f517cb26eb1a1a1f0baffcced39f6c3ec3337 <21b1645660717d6126dd4866c850fcc5c4703a41
- Affected versionversion=fa7f517cb26eb1a1a1f0baffcced39f6c3ec3337 <57ca7984806d79b38af528de88fd803babf27feb
- Affected versionversion=fa7f517cb26eb1a1a1f0baffcced39f6c3ec3337 <5d12c5d75f7c78b83a738025947651ec5c95b4d4
- Affected versionversion=fa7f517cb26eb1a1a1f0baffcced39f6c3ec3337 <7a2464fac80d42f6f8819fed97a553e9c2f43310
- Affected versionversion=fa7f517cb26eb1a1a1f0baffcced39f6c3ec3337 <c4ff55408187f2595066967047363ca84e76db85
- Affected versionversion=fa7f517cb26eb1a1a1f0baffcced39f6c3ec3337 <fb2d8bc9b5e55848b8a7c3c028e2ee8d49f28f97
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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