CVE-2024-57838·Kernel vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/entry: Mark IRQ entries to fix stack depot warnings The stack depot filters out everything outside of the top interrupt context as an uninteresting or irrelevant part of the stack traces. This helps with stack trace de-duplication, avoiding an explosion of saved stack traces that share the same IRQ context code path but originate from different randomly interrupted points, eventually exhausting the stack depot. Filtering uses in_irqentry_text() to identify functions within the .irqentry.text and .softirqentry.text sections, which then become the last stack trace entries being saved. While __do_softirq() is placed into the .softirqentry.text section by common code, populating .irqentry.text is architecture-specific. Currently, the .irqentry.text section on s390 is empty, which prevents stack depot filtering and de-duplication and could result in warnings like: Stack depot reached limit capacity WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 286113 at lib/stackdepot.c:252 depot_alloc_stack+0x39a/0x3c8 with PREEMPT and KASAN enabled. Fix this by moving the IO/EXT interrupt handlers from .kprobes.text into the .irqentry.text section and updating the kprobes blacklist to include the .irqentry.text section. This is done only for asynchronous interrupts and explicitly not for program checks, which are synchronous and where the context beyond the program check is important to preserve. Despite machine checks being somewhat in between, they are extremely rare, and preserving context when possible is also of value. SVCs and Restart Interrupts are not relevant, one being always at the boundary to user space and the other being a one-time thing. IRQ entries filtering is also optionally used in ftrace function graph, where the same logic applies.
- Severity
- high
- Software
- Kernel
- Fixed in
- 6.12.4
- 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 3% 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-2024-57838 scores 7.1 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: 6.12.4
Fixed in: 6.12.4
How to fix this CVE
Update your Linux kernel to version 6.12.4 or later to resolve this stack depot exhaustion issue on s390 architecture. The vulnerability causes memory warnings and potential denial of service conditions when stack trace filtering fails due to missing IRQ entry markers. Apply the kernel update through your distribution's package manager and reboot the system to activate the fix.
sudo dnf update kernel kernel-headers && sudo rebootDefensia detects this vulnerability
How to check if you are affected
- Check installed kernel version: uname -r (should be 6.12.4 or later for s390 systems)
- Verify vulnerability exposure on s390 architecture: uname -m | grep s390 (if output shows s390, the system is potentially affected if kernel < 6.12.4)
- Search system logs for stack depot warnings: sudo grep -i 'Stack depot reached limit capacity' /var/log/kern.log /var/log/messages (indicates the vulnerability was triggered)
- Confirm the fix by checking if .irqentry.text section is populated: readelf -S /boot/vmlinuz-* 2>/dev/null | grep -i irqentry (should show .irqentry.text section on patched kernels)
FAQ
What is CVE-2024-57838?
CVE-2024-57838 is a kernel vulnerability on s390 systems where interrupt entry points were not properly marked in memory sections, preventing stack trace de-duplication and causing the stack depot to exhaust capacity and issue warnings.
Is CVE-2024-57838 being actively exploited?
No, CVE-2024-57838 is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog and there are no public exploits available. However, it can be triggered through normal system operations on vulnerable s390 systems with PREEMPT and KASAN enabled.
What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2024-57838?
Kernel versions 6.7 through 6.12.3 on s390 architecture are affected. Version 6.12.4 and later include the fix.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-57838?
Run 'uname -r' to check your kernel version and 'uname -m' to confirm s390 architecture. Systems running kernel versions 6.7 to 6.12.3 on s390 are vulnerable. Check system logs with 'sudo grep -i "Stack depot reached limit" /var/log/kern.log' for evidence of the issue.
Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-57838?
Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored s390 server, CVE-2024-57838 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related Kernel CVEs
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1af22528fee8072b7adc007b8ca49cc4ea62689e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45c9f2b856a075a34873d00788d2e8a250c1effd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/473ffae3030188f1c6b80e1b3631a26b4adf7b32
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5bb7a2c3afcf8732dc65ea49c09147b07da1d993
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html
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