Kernel crash via unlinked mlx5 flow rule
Published May 20, 2024 · Updated May 12, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel net/mlx5 flow steering allows remote attackers to crash the kernel through crafted flow rules. add_rule_fg fails to link a newly created rule whose reference count reaches two, leaving its parent and root null before del_sw_hw_rule dereferences the parent. Exploitation requires mlx5 flow steering to create and re-reference the rule before its flow group is deleted; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel net/mlx5 flow steering allows remote attackers to crash the kernel through crafted flow rules. add_rule_fg fails to link a newly created rule whose reference count reaches two, leaving its parent and root null before del_sw_hw_rule dereferences the parent. Exploitation requires mlx5 flow steering to create and re-reference the rule before its flow group is deleted; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-35960
- Published
- May 20, 2024
- Updated
- May 12, 2026
- Vendor
- Siemens
- Product
- SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 20, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 12, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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- Affected versionversion=0 <*
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Technologies
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Your stack
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