Local kernel crash via null cpufreq callback
Published Jun 19, 2024 · Updated May 12, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux cpufreq allows local users to crash the kernel during CPU-frequency policy teardown on affected systems. The cpufreq core calls a driver's optional exit callback without first verifying that the function pointer is valid, and it fails to clear policy->freq_table when no callback exists. Reachability requires local access and teardown of a cpufreq policy using a driver without an exit callback; the documented consequence is service interruption from a kernel failure.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux cpufreq allows local users to crash the kernel during CPU-frequency policy teardown on affected systems. The cpufreq core calls a driver's optional exit callback without first verifying that the function pointer is valid, and it fails to clear policy->freq_table when no callback exists. Reachability requires local access and teardown of a cpufreq policy using a driver without an exit callback; the documented consequence is service interruption from a kernel failure.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-38615
- Published
- Jun 19, 2024
- Updated
- May 12, 2026
- Vendor
- Siemens
- Product
- SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem
- Classifications
- CWE-476, CWE-20, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 19, 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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Technologies
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