Kernel crash via unchecked BIOS image dereferences
Published Sep 27, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereferences in the Linux kernel AMD display BIOS parser allow local users to crash the system through a failed BIOS image load. Six bios_get_image call sites cast returned image pointers and dereference table fields without first rejecting NULL results. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an AMD display path whose BIOS image fails to load; the documented consequence is a system crash only.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereferences in the Linux kernel AMD display BIOS parser allow local users to crash the system through a failed BIOS image load. Six bios_get_image call sites cast returned image pointers and dereference table fields without first rejecting NULL results. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an AMD display path whose BIOS image fails to load; the documented consequence is a system crash only.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-46809
- Published
- Sep 27, 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
- Sep 27, 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=4.15
- Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <4fcd903a5d9e897420d7d8b3ca55c6e5dbb47379
- Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <8b0ddf19cca2a352b2a7e01d99d3ba949a99c84c
- Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <c5cb98554c4c6265b494d040c1c62f1db2fa28a6
- Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <e46b70a7cfed71cb84e985c785c39c16df5c28cb
- Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <e50bec62acaeec03afc6fa5dfb2426e52d049cf5
- Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <eef7301e674438913134539e77dd887960949f20
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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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