CVE-2024-56663·Kernel vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: nl80211: fix NL80211_ATTR_MLO_LINK_ID off-by-one Since the netlink attribute range validation provides inclusive checking, the *max* of attribute NL80211_ATTR_MLO_LINK_ID should be IEEE80211_MLD_MAX_NUM_LINKS - 1 otherwise causing an off-by-one. One crash stack for demonstration: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: wild-memory-access in ieee80211_tx_control_port+0x3b6/0xca0 net/mac80211/tx.c:5939 Read of size 6 at addr 001102080000000c by task fuzzer.386/9508 CPU: 1 PID: 9508 Comm: syz.1.386 Not tainted 6.1.70 #2 Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0x177/0x231 lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_report+0xe0/0x750 mm/kasan/report.c:398 kasan_report+0x139/0x170 mm/kasan/report.c:495 kasan_check_range+0x287/0x290 mm/kasan/generic.c:189 memcpy+0x25/0x60 mm/kasan/shadow.c:65 ieee80211_tx_control_port+0x3b6/0xca0 net/mac80211/tx.c:5939 rdev_tx_control_port net/wireless/rdev-ops.h:761 [inline] nl80211_tx_control_port+0x7b3/0xc40 net/wireless/nl80211.c:15453 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x22e/0x320 net/netlink/genetlink.c:756 genl_family_rcv_msg net/netlink/genetlink.c:833 [inline] genl_rcv_msg+0x539/0x740 net/netlink/genetlink.c:850 netlink_rcv_skb+0x1de/0x420 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2508 genl_rcv+0x24/0x40 net/netlink/genetlink.c:861 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1326 [inline] netlink_unicast+0x74b/0x8c0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1352 netlink_sendmsg+0x882/0xb90 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1874 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:716 [inline] __sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:728 [inline] ____sys_sendmsg+0x5cc/0x8f0 net/socket.c:2499 ___sys_sendmsg+0x21c/0x290 net/socket.c:2553 __sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2582 [inline] __do_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2591 [inline] __se_sys_sendmsg+0x19e/0x270 net/socket.c:2589 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x45/0x90 arch/x86/entry/common.c:81 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd Update the policy to ensure correct validation.
- Severity
- high
- Software
- Kernel
- Fixed in
- 6.12.6
- Published
- 2024-12-27
Affected versions
From: 6.7
Until: 6.12.6
Fixed in: 6.12.6
How to fix this CVE
Update your Linux kernel to version 6.12.6 or later to fix an off-by-one validation error in the nl80211 wireless driver that could allow local privilege escalation. Systems running kernel versions 6.7 through 6.12.5 should prioritize this patch as it resolves memory access violations triggered through netlink attribute validation.
sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel && sudo rebootDefensia detects this vulnerability
How to check if you are affected
- Check your current kernel version by running: uname -r
- Verify if your kernel falls within vulnerable range (6.7 to 6.12.5): if [[ $(uname -r | cut -d. -f1,2) == "6."* ]] && [[ $(uname -r | cut -d. -f3) -lt 12 ]]; then echo 'Potentially vulnerable'; fi
- Search system logs for KASAN errors or wild-memory-access patterns in the nl80211 driver: grep -i 'kasan\|wild-memory-access\|ieee80211_tx_control_port' /var/log/kern.log /var/log/dmesg 2>/dev/null
- Confirm patch application by comparing kernel version post-reboot: uname -r should show 6.12.6 or higher
FAQ
What is CVE-2024-56663?
This is an off-by-one validation error in the Linux kernel's nl80211 wireless netlink interface that allows local users with restricted privileges to trigger out-of-bounds memory access, potentially leading to kernel crashes or privilege escalation.
Is CVE-2024-56663 being actively exploited?
No, this vulnerability is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, and there are no publicly available proof-of-concept exploits, though the attack requires local access.
What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2024-56663?
Linux kernel versions 6.7 through 6.12.5 are affected. The fix is available in kernel 6.12.6 and later.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-56663?
Run 'uname -r' to display your kernel version. If it shows a version between 6.7.x and 6.12.5, your system is vulnerable and requires immediate patching.
Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-56663?
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-2024-56663 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related Kernel CVEs
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29e640ae641b9f5ffc666049426d2b16c98d9963
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e3dbf938656986cce73ac4083500d0bcfbffe24
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f3412522f78826fef1dfae40ef378a863df2591c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f850d1d9f1106f528dfc5807565f2d1fa9a397d3
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html
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