Kernel crash via unaligned RISC-V kexec entry
Published Aug 20, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
An alignment flaw in the RISC-V kexec purgatory in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel during a kexec transition. The entry assembly fails to word-align riscv_kernel_entry, so firmware-delegated unaligned access reaches the kexec trap handler and terminates the kernel. Reachability requires RISC-V firmware that delegates unaligned-access exceptions, a kernel configured to handle them, and initiation of the privileged kexec path.
Summary
What happened
An alignment flaw in the RISC-V kexec purgatory in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel during a kexec transition. The entry assembly fails to word-align riscv_kernel_entry, so firmware-delegated unaligned access reaches the kexec trap handler and terminates the kernel. Reachability requires RISC-V firmware that delegates unaligned-access exceptions, a kernel configured to handle them, and initiation of the privileged kexec path.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-43868
- Published
- Aug 20, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 20, 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=5.19
- Affected versionversion=736e30af583fb6e0e2b8211b894ff99dea0f1ee7 <10ffafb456f293976c42f700578ef740467cb569
- Affected versionversion=736e30af583fb6e0e2b8211b894ff99dea0f1ee7 <5d4aaf16a8255f7c71790e211724ba029609c5ff
- Affected versionversion=736e30af583fb6e0e2b8211b894ff99dea0f1ee7 <6e62dab357eea12db0fc62dea94c7a892888e6e8
- Affected versionversion=736e30af583fb6e0e2b8211b894ff99dea0f1ee7 <fb197c5d2fd24b9af3d4697d0cf778645846d6d5
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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