CVE-2024-40928

Local kernel crash via unsupported PHY statistics callback

Published Jul 12, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system via an ethtool PHY statistics request. The ethtool_get_phy_stats_ethtool() function reverses its callback check and calls ops->get_ethtool_phy_stats when that pointer is NULL instead of returning EOPNOTSUPP. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and a network device whose driver omits the PHY statistics callback; the documented impact is a kernel crash without data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system via an ethtool PHY statistics request. The ethtool_get_phy_stats_ethtool() function reverses its callback check and calls ops->get_ethtool_phy_stats when that pointer is NULL instead of returning EOPNOTSUPP. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and a network device whose driver omits the PHY statistics callback; the documented impact is a kernel crash without data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-40928
Published
Jul 12, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 12, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=201ed315f9676809cd5b20a39206e964106d4f27 <0dcc53abf58d572d34c5313de85f607cd33fc691
  2. Affected versionversion=201ed315f9676809cd5b20a39206e964106d4f27 <6548d543a27449a1a3d8079925de93f5764d6f22
  3. Affected versionversion=201ed315f9676809cd5b20a39206e964106d4f27 <92196be82a4eb61813833dc62876fd198ae51ab1
  4. Affected versionversion=6.2
  5. Affected versionversion=72d1c4a07780e24827c29bad203a1167d67181ed <c3ba0557ab2ef15a3663e2fb9b1a3d628a8c3daa
  6. Affected versionversion=981c6e178cf333ac9568665e6d786f795f5cb3ad <f9e57e7ca77393b5b7072800370370b02eaad0f8
  7. Affected versionversion=c882f2178f22f3740e20a6bd6b8df1c0500301bf <25504f7fe60058b2a9553a9e424fb7dd9683843e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=201ed315f9676809cd5b20a39206e964106d4f27 <0dcc53abf58d572d34c5313de85f607cd33fc691; version=201ed315f9676809cd5b20a39206e964106d4f27 <6548d543a27449a1a3d8079925de93f5764d6f22; version=201ed315f9676809cd5b20a39206e964106d4f27 <92196be82a4eb61813833dc62876fd198ae51ab1; version=6.2; version=72d1c4a07780e24827c29bad203a1167d67181ed <c3ba0557ab2ef15a3663e2fb9b1a3d628a8c3daa; version=981c6e178cf333ac9568665e6d786f795f5cb3ad <f9e57e7ca77393b5b7072800370370b02eaad0f8; version=c882f2178f22f3740e20a6bd6b8df1c0500301bf <25504f7fe60058b2a9553a9e424fb7dd9683843e

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

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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