Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A flaw in the Linux media subsystem can crash the kernel when media-pipeline traversal encounters an ancillary link instead of a data link. A successful trigger could disrupt affected systems. The supplied CVSS assessment also indicates possible confidentiality and integrity impact, although the description only explains the crash mechanism.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority kernel maintenance issue on exposed endpoints, media systems, and multi-user hosts. Accelerate remediation where untrusted local code can access media devices. Routine urgency may be appropriate for systems without reachable media-controller functionality, subject to validation. No active exploitation evidence is supplied.
Technical view
media_pipeline_start incorrectly traverses every media-graph link, including MEDIA_LNK_FL_ANCILLARY_LINK. Processing a non-pad link can cause a kernel crash. The upstream correction restricts traversal to MEDIA_LNK_FL_DATA_LINK links. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8: local access, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high CIA impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Linux systems running affected kernel builds where the media-controller path can be reached. The bundle lists 6.1, 6.1.94, 6.6.34, 6.9.5, and 6.10 as affected, but also contains an ambiguous “0” entry. Distribution backports may change actual status.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector requires local, low-privileged access and no user interaction. The supplied sources do not describe remote exploitation, public proof-of-concept activity, or observed attacks. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the bundle. Exact triggering prerequisites beyond the media graph and ancillary-link condition are not documented here.
Researcher notes
The core defect is link-type validation during graph traversal, corrected by accepting only data links. The bundle provides four stable-tree commits but no explicit affected-version ranges, exploit evidence, CWE, or distribution mappings. Researchers should avoid inferring memory-corruption behavior from the CVSS impacts alone; the narrative specifically documents a crash.
Mitigation direction
- Identify deployed kernel versions and distribution-specific backport status.
- Apply the appropriate vendor kernel update containing the linked stable fix.
- Prioritize systems allowing untrusted local users or workloads to access media devices.
- Where immediate updating is impossible, restrict unnecessary access to affected media functionality.
- Review Linux distribution advisories for supported-package remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Confirm the running kernel version on each potentially exposed system.
- Check vendor changelogs for CVE-2024-39481 or the referenced fix commits.
- Verify whether affected systems expose media-controller devices to untrusted local users or workloads.
- After updating, confirm the replacement kernel is active.
- Monitor kernel logs for media-pipeline crashes or related fault signatures.
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.
CVE-2024-39481 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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/788fd0f11e45ae8d3a8ebbd3452a6e83f92db376CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e80d9db99b7b6c697d8d952dfd25c3425cf61499CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bee9440bc0b6b3b7432f7bfde28656262a3484a2CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a9d420149c477e7c97fbd6453704e4612bdd3faCVE 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.