high CVSS 7.8 EPSS <0.1%

CVE-2024-35921·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: media: mediatek: vcodec: Fix oops when HEVC init fails The stateless HEVC decoder saves the instance pointer in the context regardless if the initialization worked or not. This caused a use after free, when the pointer is freed in case of a failure in the deinit function. Only store the instance pointer when the initialization was successful, to solve this issue. Hardware name: Acer Tomato (rev3 - 4) board (DT) pstate: 80400009 (Nzcv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) pc : vcodec_vpu_send_msg+0x4c/0x190 [mtk_vcodec_dec] lr : vcodec_send_ap_ipi+0x78/0x170 [mtk_vcodec_dec] sp : ffff80008750bc20 x29: ffff80008750bc20 x28: ffff1299f6d70000 x27: 0000000000000000 x26: 0000000000000000 x25: 0000000000000000 x24: 0000000000000000 x23: ffff80008750bc98 x22: 000000000000a003 x21: ffffd45c4cfae000 x20: 0000000000000010 x19: ffff1299fd668310 x18: 000000000000001a x17: 000000040044ffff x16: ffffd45cb15dc648 x15: 0000000000000000 x14: ffff1299c08da1c0 x13: ffffd45cb1f87a10 x12: ffffd45cb2f5fe80 x11: 0000000000000001 x10: 0000000000001b30 x9 : ffffd45c4d12b488 x8 : 1fffe25339380d81 x7 : 0000000000000001 x6 : ffff1299c9c06c00 x5 : 0000000000000132 x4 : 0000000000000000 x3 : 0000000000000000 x2 : 0000000000000010 x1 : ffff80008750bc98 x0 : 0000000000000000 Call trace: vcodec_vpu_send_msg+0x4c/0x190 [mtk_vcodec_dec] vcodec_send_ap_ipi+0x78/0x170 [mtk_vcodec_dec] vpu_dec_deinit+0x1c/0x30 [mtk_vcodec_dec] vdec_hevc_slice_deinit+0x30/0x98 [mtk_vcodec_dec] vdec_if_deinit+0x38/0x68 [mtk_vcodec_dec] mtk_vcodec_dec_release+0x20/0x40 [mtk_vcodec_dec] fops_vcodec_release+0x64/0x118 [mtk_vcodec_dec] v4l2_release+0x7c/0x100 __fput+0x80/0x2d8 __fput_sync+0x58/0x70 __arm64_sys_close+0x40/0x90 invoke_syscall+0x50/0x128 el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0x48/0xf0 do_el0_svc+0x24/0x38 el0_svc+0x38/0xd8 el0t_64_sync_handler+0xc0/0xc8 el0t_64_sync+0x1a8/0x1b0 Code: d503201f f9401660 b900127f b900227f (f9400400)

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
6.8.6
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at <0.1% — higher than 5% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Read the two together. CVE-2024-35921 scores 7.8 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at <0.1%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.

Affected versions

From: 6.7

Until: 6.8.6

Fixed in: 6.8.6

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 6.8.6 or later to patch this use-after-free vulnerability in the MediaTek HEVC video decoder. The vulnerability occurs when HEVC decoder initialization fails but the instance pointer is still stored, leading to a kernel crash during cleanup. Systems running kernel versions 6.7 through 6.8.5 on MediaTek platforms should prioritize this update immediately.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check your installed kernel version with `uname -r` and compare against the affected range (6.7.x to 6.8.5)
  2. Step 2: Verify if MediaTek video codec drivers are loaded: `lsmod | grep mtk_vcodec`
  3. Step 3: Search system logs for HEVC decoder initialization failures: `grep -i 'hevc\|vcodec\|mtk_vcodec' /var/log/kern.log /var/log/messages | grep -i 'fail\|error'`
  4. Step 4: Confirm the patch is applied by verifying kernel version is 6.8.6 or later: `uname -r` should show 6.8.6+ or newer stable release

FAQ

What is CVE-2024-35921?

CVE-2024-35921 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's MediaTek HEVC video decoder. When hardware-accelerated HEVC video decoding fails during initialization on ARM-based MediaTek platforms, the kernel attempts to access memory that has already been freed, causing a kernel panic.

Is CVE-2024-35921 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2024-35921 is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog and no public exploits are currently available. However, the vulnerability can be triggered by any user with local access to video decoding resources.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2024-35921?

Linux kernel versions 6.7 through 6.8.5 are vulnerable. The fix is included in kernel 6.8.6 and later stable releases.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-35921?

Run `uname -r` to check your kernel version. If it shows 6.7.x or 6.8.0 through 6.8.5, your system is vulnerable. Then verify if MediaTek codecs are present with `lsmod | grep mtk_vcodec`.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-35921?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2024-35921 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-63795CVSS 10In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: 9p: avoid putting oldfid in p9_client_walk() error path When p9_client_walk() is called with clone set to false, fid aliases oldfid. If the walk subsequently fails after the request has been sent, the error path jumps to clunk_fid, which currently calls p9_fid_put(fid) unconditionally. This drops a reference to oldfid even though ownership of oldfid remains with the caller. If this is the last reference, oldfid can be clunked and destroyed while the caller still expects it to be valid. A later use or put of oldfid can then trigger a use-after-free or refcount underflow. Fix this by only putting fid in the clunk_fid error path when it does not alias oldfid, matching the existing guard in the error path below. This can be triggered when a multi-component walk is split into multiple p9_client_walk() calls and a later non-cloning walk fails. A reproducer and refcount warning logs are available on request.
CVE-2026-46325CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/rxe: Fix iova-to-va conversion for MR page sizes != PAGE_SIZE The current implementation incorrectly handles memory regions (MRs) with page sizes different from the system PAGE_SIZE. The core issue is that rxe_set_page() is called with mr->page_size step increments, but the page_list stores individual struct page pointers, each representing PAGE_SIZE of memory. ib_sg_to_page() has ensured that when i>=1 either a) SG[i-1].dma_end and SG[i].dma_addr are contiguous or b) SG[i-1].dma_end and SG[i].dma_addr are mr->page_size aligned. This leads to incorrect iova-to-va conversion in scenarios: 1) page_size < PAGE_SIZE (e.g., MR: 4K, system: 64K): ibmr->iova = 0x181800 sg[0]: dma_addr=0x181800, len=0x800 sg[1]: dma_addr=0x173000, len=0x1000 Access iova = 0x181800 + 0x810 = 0x182010 Expected VA: 0x173010 (second SG, offset 0x10) Before fix: - index = (0x182010 >> 12) - (0x181800 >> 12) = 1 - page_offset = 0x182010 & 0xFFF = 0x10 - xarray[1] stores system page base 0x170000 - Resulting VA: 0x170000 + 0x10 = 0x170010 (wrong) 2) page_size > PAGE_SIZE (e.g., MR: 64K, system: 4K): ibmr->iova = 0x18f800 sg[0]: dma_addr=0x18f800, len=0x800 sg[1]: dma_addr=0x170000, len=0x1000 Access iova = 0x18f800 + 0x810 = 0x190010 Expected VA: 0x170010 (second SG, offset 0x10) Before fix: - index = (0x190010 >> 16) - (0x18f800 >> 16) = 1 - page_offset = 0x190010 & 0xFFFF = 0x10 - xarray[1] stores system page for dma_addr 0x170000 - Resulting VA: system page of 0x170000 + 0x10 = 0x170010 (wrong) Yi Zhang reported a kernel panic[1] years ago related to this defect. Solution: 1. Replace xarray with pre-allocated rxe_mr_page array for sequential indexing (all MR page indices are contiguous) 2. Each rxe_mr_page stores both struct page* and offset within the system page 3. Handle MR page_size != PAGE_SIZE relationships: - page_size > PAGE_SIZE: Split MR pages into multiple system pages - page_size <= PAGE_SIZE: Store offset within system page 4. Add boundary checks and compatibility validation This ensures correct iova-to-va conversion regardless of MR page size and system PAGE_SIZE relationship, while improving performance through array-based sequential access. Tests on 4K and 64K PAGE_SIZE hosts: - rdma-core/pytests $ ./build/bin/run_tests.py --dev eth0_rxe - blktest: $ TIMEOUT=30 QUICK_RUN=1 USE_RXE=1 NVMET_TRTYPES=rdma ./check nvme srp rnbd [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAHj4cs9XRqE25jyVw9rj9YugffLn5+f=1znaBEnu1usLOciD+g@mail.gmail.com/T/
CVE-2026-52914CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: fix fragment reassembly length accounting batman-adv keeps a running payload length for queued fragments and uses it to validate a fragment chain before reassembly. That accounting currently allows the accumulated fragment length to be truncated during updates. As a result, malformed fragment chains can bypass the intended validation and drive reassembly with inconsistent length state, leading to a local denial of service. Fix the accounting by storing the accumulated length in a length-typed field and rejecting update overflows before the existing validation logic runs. The fix was verified against the original reproducer and against valid fragment reassembly paths.
CVE-2026-53151CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rxrpc: Fix the ACK parser to extract the SACK table for parsing Fix modification of the received skbuff in rxrpc_input_soft_acks() and a potential incorrect access of the buffer in a fragmented UDP packet (the packet would probably have to be deliberately pre-generated as fragmented) when AF_RXRPC tries to extract the contents of the SACK table by copying out the contents of the SACK table into a buffer before attempting to parse AF_RXRPC assumes that it can just call skb_condense() and then validly access the SACK table from skb->data and that it will be a flat buffer - but skb_condense() can silently fail to do anything under some circumstances. Note that whilst rxrpc_input_soft_acks() should be able to parse extended ACKs, the rest of AF_RXRPC doesn't currently support that. Further, there's then no need to call skb_condense() in rxrpc_input_ack(), so don't.
CVE-2026-63800CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pNFS: Fix use-after-free in pnfs_update_layout() When hitting the NFS_LAYOUT_RETURN branch in pnfs_update_layout(), the code calls pnfs_prepare_to_retry_layoutget(lo). If it succeeds, pnfs_put_layout_hdr(lo) is called before trace_pnfs_update_layout(), which still references 'lo'. This results in a use-after-free when the tracepoint accesses lo's fields. Fix this by moving the tracepoint call before pnfs_put_layout_hdr(lo).

References

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