System hang via excessive failed efuse retries
Published Dec 27, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Denial of service in the Linux kernel rtlwifi USB driver allows local users to hang the system by presenting failing efuse reads. The read_efuse() path repeatedly invokes read_efuse_byte(), which retries each failed USB I/O read up to 10,000 times while reading as many as 512 efuse bytes. Triggering the hang requires control of a failing or emulated Realtek USB WiFi device during rtl8192cu probe; the blocked worker can leave the host unresponsive and prevent reboot completion.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in the Linux kernel rtlwifi USB driver allows local users to hang the system by presenting failing efuse reads. The read_efuse() path repeatedly invokes read_efuse_byte(), which retries each failed USB I/O read up to 10,000 times while reading as many as 512 efuse bytes. Triggering the hang requires control of a failing or emulated Realtek USB WiFi device during rtl8192cu probe; the blocked worker can leave the host unresponsive and prevent reboot completion.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-53190
- Published
- Dec 27, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 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=0c8173385e549f95cd80c3fff5aab87b4f881d8d <5c1b544563005a00591a3aa86ecff62ed4d11be3
- Affected versionversion=0c8173385e549f95cd80c3fff5aab87b4f881d8d <8f3551f67991652c83469c7dd51d7b9b187b265f
- Affected versionversion=0c8173385e549f95cd80c3fff5aab87b4f881d8d <ac064c656f105b9122bc43991a170f95f72b7a43
- Affected versionversion=0c8173385e549f95cd80c3fff5aab87b4f881d8d <c386fb76f01794f1023d01a6ec5f5c93d00acd3b
- Affected versionversion=0c8173385e549f95cd80c3fff5aab87b4f881d8d <eeb0b9b9e66b0b54cdad8e1c1cf0f55e8ba4211c
- Affected versionversion=2.6.38
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Syzkaller C reproducer for rtlwifi efuse hangproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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