Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2024-26978 is a Linux kernel bug in the max310x serial driver. A bad userspace-triggered I2C device instantiation path can cause a NULL pointer dereference during probing. The main business risk is local denial of service on systems exposing this driver path, not confirmed remote compromise.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted kernel stability issue. Patch through normal kernel maintenance, faster for embedded, appliance, or hardware-control systems using I2C serial devices. There is no source-backed evidence of active exploitation in the supplied bundle.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-476 in the Linux kernel max310x I2C probe path. The fix adds validation for the device type before probe continues, avoiding a kernel NULL pointer dereference and returning a meaningful error. The provided sources do not include CVSS scoring or evidence of exploitation.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Linux systems using or loading the max310x serial driver and allowing userspace I2C device instantiation. General-purpose servers may be unaffected if this hardware driver and I2C path are not present or accessible.
Exploitation context
The CVE source describes a crash triggered through userspace I2C device instantiation. CISA KEV status is false in the bundle, and no cited source reports active exploitation. Evidence supports denial-of-service risk, not privilege escalation or remote exploitation.
Researcher notes
The source bundle is incomplete on scoring and exact distro impact. The strongest facts are the kernel NULL dereference, userspace-triggered I2C instantiation context, and stable commits adding devtype validation. Avoid assuming broader exploitability without local driver, permission, and hardware-path analysis.
Mitigation direction
- Update to a vendor kernel containing the referenced stable fix commits.
- Check Linux distribution advisories for the exact fixed package for your release.
- Restrict unnecessary access to I2C device instantiation interfaces.
- Disable or avoid loading the max310x driver where not required.
- Prioritize embedded or hardware-facing Linux systems using MAX310x-compatible serial devices.
Validation and detection
- Inventory running kernels and compare against vendor fixed versions.
- Check whether the max310x driver is built, loaded, or required.
- Review whether users can access I2C new-device instantiation paths.
- Confirm patched kernels include devtype validation in the max310x I2C probe path.
- Monitor kernel logs for max310x probe failures or NULL dereference crashes.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-476: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2024-26978 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
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.
SSVC decision data
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d271b798add90c6196539167c019d0817285cf0CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c45e53c27b78afd6c81fc25608003576f27b5735CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12609c76b755dbeb1645c0aacc0f0f4743b2eff3CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2160ad6861c4a21d3fa553d7b2aaec6634a37f8aCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5cd8af02b466e1beeae13e2de3dc58fcc7925e5aCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aeca49661fd02fd56fb026768b580ce301b45733CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d27056c24efd3d63a03f3edfbcfc4827086b110CVE reference, Linux
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00017.htmlCVE reference, CVE · x_transferred
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
NULL Pointer Dereference
NULL Pointer Dereference represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.