CVE-2024-56617

Local host crash via unallocated cacheinfo dereference

Published Dec 27, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.4 allows local users to crash the kernel during cacheinfo CPU hotplug processing. On x86, the cacheinfo CPU-hotplug callback calls last_level_cache_is_valid() before per-CPU cacheinfo memory exists because no early build occurred. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and a CPU hotplug event; the NULL dereference produces a kernel oops that interrupts host availability.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.4 allows local users to crash the kernel during cacheinfo CPU hotplug processing. On x86, the cacheinfo CPU-hotplug callback calls last_level_cache_is_valid() before per-CPU cacheinfo memory exists because no early build occurred. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and a CPU hotplug event; the NULL dereference produces a kernel oops that interrupts host availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-56617
Published
Dec 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

  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

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=6.4
  2. Affected versionversion=6539cffa94957241c096099a57d05fa4d8c7db8a <23b5908b11b77ff8d7b8f7b8f11cbab2e1f4bfc2
  3. Affected versionversion=6539cffa94957241c096099a57d05fa4d8c7db8a <95e197354e0de07e9a20819bdae6562e4dda0f20
  4. Affected versionversion=6539cffa94957241c096099a57d05fa4d8c7db8a <b3fce429a1e030b50c1c91351d69b8667eef627b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.4; version=6539cffa94957241c096099a57d05fa4d8c7db8a <23b5908b11b77ff8d7b8f7b8f11cbab2e1f4bfc2; version=6539cffa94957241c096099a57d05fa4d8c7db8a <95e197354e0de07e9a20819bdae6562e4dda0f20; version=6539cffa94957241c096099a57d05fa4d8c7db8a <b3fce429a1e030b50c1c91351d69b8667eef627b

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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