Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2024-36888 is a Linux kernel availability bug. Under certain CPU online/offline configurations, the workqueue code can select an offline CPU and trigger a kernel crash. The published impact is denial of service, not data theft or code execution.
Executive priority
Handle through normal kernel patch governance, with higher priority where local denial of service would affect critical services or shared infrastructure. This is not evidenced as internet-exploited, but a kernel crash can still cause business disruption.
Technical view
The flaw is a NULL pointer dereference in Linux workqueue kick_pool() CPU selection. With possible CPUs exceeding online CPUs, the kernel may call arch_vcpu_is_preempted() for an offline CPU. Upstream fixed selection by masking with cpu_online_mask, while noting a remaining race may need scheduler or s390 handling.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Linux systems running affected kernel versions around 6.6, 6.8.10, and 6.9 with CPU hotplug, virtualization, or configurations where many CPUs are possible but not online. Distribution backports may change version-based conclusions, so confirm using vendor kernel advisories.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector is local, low complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, with high availability impact. The provided sources do not show active exploitation, and KEV is false. Treat this as a local denial-of-service risk rather than a remote compromise issue.
Researcher notes
The source describes a specific crash path and fix direction, but also states the patch does not fully eliminate a race where CPUs go offline after selection. Research should focus on downstream backports, architecture-specific behavior, and whether later scheduler or s390 fixes were issued.
Mitigation direction
- Update affected Linux kernels to vendor releases containing the upstream stable fixes.
- Check Linux distribution advisories for backported fixes and supported kernel package names.
- Prioritize highly available, multi-tenant, virtualized, or CPU hotplug-capable systems.
- Monitor for follow-up kernel fixes because upstream notes a remaining CPU-offline race.
- Avoid relying only on mainline version strings when distributions backport patches.
Validation and detection
- Inventory running kernel versions and map them to distribution CVE advisories.
- Confirm deployed kernels include one of the referenced upstream stable commits or equivalent backport.
- Review kernel logs for oops traces involving kick_pool(), try_to_wake_up(), or arch_vcpu_is_preempted().
- Validate CPU possible and online masks on impacted platforms during maintenance review.
- Track whether vendors publish additional scheduler or s390 follow-up fixes.
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
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2024-36888 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.2 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe 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.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H2.53.6CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.2MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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/c57824d4fe07c2131f8c48687cbd5ee2be60c767CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6d559e70b3eb6623935cbe7f94c1912c1099777bCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/57a01eafdcf78f6da34fad9ff075ed5dfdd9f420CVE reference, Linux
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.