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CVE Record

CVE-2024-26909: soc: qcom: pmic_glink_altmode: fix drm bridge use-after-free

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: soc: qcom: pmic_glink_altmode: fix drm bridge use-after-free A recent DRM series purporting to simplify support for "transparent bridges" and handling of probe deferrals ironically exposed a use-after-free issue on pmic_glink_altmode probe deferral. This has manifested itself as the display subsystem occasionally failing to initialise and NULL-pointer dereferences during boot of machines like the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s. Specifically, the dp-hpd bridge is currently registered before all resources have been acquired which means that it can also be deregistered on probe deferrals. In the meantime there is a race window where the new aux bridge driver (or PHY driver previously) may have looked up the dp-hpd bridge and stored a (non-reference-counted) pointer to the bridge which is about to be deallocated. When the display controller is later initialised, this triggers a use-after-free when attaching the bridges: dp -> aux -> dp-hpd (freed) which may, for example, result in the freed bridge failing to attach: [drm:drm_bridge_attach [drm]] *ERROR* failed to attach bridge /soc@0/phy@88eb000 to encoder TMDS-31: -16 or a NULL-pointer dereference: Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000000 ... Call trace: drm_bridge_attach+0x70/0x1a8 [drm] drm_aux_bridge_attach+0x24/0x38 [aux_bridge] drm_bridge_attach+0x80/0x1a8 [drm] dp_bridge_init+0xa8/0x15c [msm] msm_dp_modeset_init+0x28/0xc4 [msm] The DRM bridge implementation is clearly fragile and implicitly built on the assumption that bridges may never go away. In this case, the fix is to move the bridge registration in the pmic_glink_altmode driver to after all resources have been looked up. Incidentally, with the new dp-hpd bridge implementation, which registers child devices, this is also a requirement due to a long-standing issue in driver core that can otherwise lead to a probe deferral loop (see commit fbc35b45f9f6 ("Add documentation on meaning of -EPROBE_DEFER")). [DB: slightly fixed commit message by adding the word 'commit']

HighCVSS 7Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A Linux kernel race can leave the Qualcomm display subsystem using an object after it has been freed. On affected hardware, this may cause display initialization failures or a kernel NULL-pointer crash during boot. The supplied assessment rates it high at CVSS 7.0, although practical exploitation evidence is absent.

Executive priority

Prioritize validation on Qualcomm-based Linux endpoints, especially operationally important systems or those showing boot instability. Patch through supported distribution channels once applicability is confirmed. Broad emergency action across unrelated Linux fleets is not supported by the supplied evidence.

Technical view

During pmic_glink_altmode probe deferral, the dp-hpd DRM bridge may be deregistered after another driver stores its non-reference-counted pointer. Later bridge attachment can dereference freed memory. The kernel fix registers the bridge only after all required resources are acquired, closing the race window.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems using the Qualcomm pmic_glink_altmode and associated DRM display bridge path; Lenovo ThinkPad X13s is a documented example. The supplied version data lists Linux 6.3, 6.6.23, 6.7.11, and 6.8 but does not clearly define complete affected or fixed ranges.

Exploitation context

The CVSS vector describes local access, low privileges, high complexity, and potential confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Supplied evidence documents boot-time display failures and NULL-pointer dereferences, not successful malicious exploitation. The CVE is not identified as CISA KEV in the bundle.

Researcher notes

The trigger is a probe-deferral race involving bridge lifetime and an uncounted pointer. Observed consequences include attachment failure and kernel NULL dereference. The sources describe a corrective registration-order change, but provide no proof of exploitation, complete affected-version boundaries, or architecture-wide applicability beyond this driver path.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify systems using Qualcomm pmic_glink_altmode and the affected DRM bridge path.
  • Obtain a vendor-supported kernel containing the referenced upstream or stable fix.
  • Prioritize affected endpoints showing boot crashes or intermittent display initialization failures.
  • Consult Linux distribution guidance for exact fixed package versions; the bundle does not provide them.

Validation and detection

  • Record running kernel and distribution package versions on potentially affected Qualcomm-based systems.
  • Confirm whether pmic_glink_altmode and relevant Qualcomm DRM components are present.
  • Review boot and kernel logs for drm_bridge_attach failures or NULL-pointer dereferences.
  • Verify the installed kernel incorporates the applicable referenced stable commit.
  • Reboot representative hardware and confirm reliable display subsystem initialization after remediation.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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CVE-2024-26909 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
7 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
2ADP providers
4Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
7CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H15.9Linux

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2024-26909Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CVECVE Program Container
CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc
Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux080b4e24852b1d5b66929f69344e6c3eeb963941, 080b4e24852b1d5b66929f69344e6c3eeb963941, 080b4e24852b1d5b66929f69344e6c3eeb963941unaffected
LinuxLinux6.3, 0, 6.6.23, 6.7.11, 6.8affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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