CVE-2024-56611

Local kernel crash via empty VMA dereference

Published Dec 27, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux mm/mempolicy allows local users to crash the kernel through the migrate_pages system call. migrate_to_node() assumes find_vma() returns a VMA and dereferences the NULL result when the process has no mapped VMA. A low-privileged local account and an empty memory map are required; successful exploitation interrupts host availability without reported data access or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 17, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Linux mm/mempolicy allows local users to crash the kernel through the migrate_pages system call. migrate_to_node() assumes find_vma() returns a VMA and dereferences the NULL result when the process has no mapped VMA. A low-privileged local account and an empty memory map are required; successful exploitation interrupts host availability without reported data access or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-56611
Published
Dec 27, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 27, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.6.16
  2. Affected versionversion=39743889aaf76725152f16aa90ca3c45f6d52da3 <091c1dd2d4df6edd1beebe0e5863d4034ade9572
  3. Affected versionversion=39743889aaf76725152f16aa90ca3c45f6d52da3 <42d9fe2adf8613f9eea1f0c2619c9e2611eae0ea
  4. Affected versionversion=39743889aaf76725152f16aa90ca3c45f6d52da3 <a13b2b9b0b0b04612c7d81e3b3dfb485c5f7abc3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.16; version=39743889aaf76725152f16aa90ca3c45f6d52da3 <091c1dd2d4df6edd1beebe0e5863d4034ade9572; version=39743889aaf76725152f16aa90ca3c45f6d52da3 <42d9fe2adf8613f9eea1f0c2619c9e2611eae0ea; version=39743889aaf76725152f16aa90ca3c45f6d52da3 <a13b2b9b0b0b04612c7d81e3b3dfb485c5f7abc3

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS: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
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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