Bootloader crash via double reference-count decrement
Published Feb 18, 2025 · Updated Jun 29, 2026
Improper reference counting in GNU GRUB 2.12 and earlier allows local users with high privileges to crash the bootloader through a malformed HFS+ volume. An HFS+ mount can return NULL without setting grub_errno, after which cleanup can decrement the module reference count a second time when the NULL page is mapped. Exploitation requires high local privileges and a mapped NULL page; the documented consequence is availability loss from a NULL-pointer access.
Summary
What happened
Improper reference counting in GNU GRUB 2.12 and earlier allows local users with high privileges to crash the bootloader through a malformed HFS+ volume. An HFS+ mount can return NULL without setting grub_errno, after which cleanup can decrement the module reference count a second time when the NULL page is mapped. Exploitation requires high local privileges and a mapped NULL page; the documented consequence is availability loss from a NULL-pointer access.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-45783
- Published
- Feb 18, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 29, 2026
- Vendor
- The GnuPG Project
- Product
- GNU GRUB
- Classifications
- CWE-911, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 29, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=0 <=2.12
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Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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