Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A flaw in Linux’s ath12k Wi-Fi driver can mishandle previously allocated memory when a system resumes from sleep, causing a kernel crash. Systems using affected kernels and ath12k hardware are the likely concern, particularly where DMA remapping is unavailable. The supplied CVSS score is 7.8 (high).
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority reliability and kernel-security update for confirmed ath12k deployments. Broad emergency action is not supported by the supplied evidence because exposure requires a specific driver and resume conditions, and active exploitation is not reported. Patch confirmed systems through normal expedited kernel maintenance.
Technical view
During resume, ath12k overwrites QMI target-memory metadata before allocation succeeds. Cleanup may then free an older DMA allocation using an incorrect, much larger size, producing a bad-page state and kernel crash. The flaw also leaks a skipped segment. The supplied vector indicates local access, low privileges, low complexity, and no user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to Linux systems using the ath12k wireless driver, affected kernel revisions, suspend/resume, and environments without DMA-remap support. The bundle mentions Linux 6.3, 6.9.7, and 6.10, but its version-range encoding is ambiguous; confirm applicability with the system vendor or downstream kernel maintainer.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not identify public exploitation, and CVE-2024-40979 is not marked as CISA KEV. The supplied vector describes a local, low-privilege condition. Evidence demonstrates a reproducible kernel crash during resume, but does not establish remote reachability, privilege escalation, or observed attacks.
Researcher notes
The failure arises from stale target-memory allocations combined with newly overwritten segment counts and sizes. Cleanup can pass 8,454,144 bytes to dma_free_coherent for a prior 524,288-byte allocation. This supports memory-corruption and denial-of-service concern. The supplied CVSS claims high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact, but the narrative directly demonstrates only leakage and crashing.
Mitigation direction
- Install a vendor-supported kernel containing the referenced ath12k fix commits.
- Check distribution or appliance guidance for the exact fixed package and required reboot.
- Prioritize systems using ath12k hardware and regular suspend/resume workflows.
- Where updating is delayed, seek vendor-approved guidance for avoiding the affected resume path.
Validation and detection
- Inventory kernel versions and systems loading the ath12k driver.
- Confirm the installed kernel contains either referenced fix or an equivalent vendor backport.
- Review kernel logs for ath12k QMI allocation failures and bad-page-state crashes after resume.
- Test suspend and resume safely in a representative non-production environment after updating.
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
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CVE-2024-40979 mapping review
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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
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ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bb50a4e711ff95348ad53641acb1306d89eb4c3aCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/303c017821d88ebad887814114d4e5966d320b28CVE 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.