Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux kernel ATM network driver can access packet memory after releasing it. Affected systems using the IDT77252 driver could crash or suffer kernel-memory corruption. Although the supplied CVSS score is 9.8, practical exposure likely depends on whether this uncommon ATM driver and corresponding receive path are present and active.
Executive priority
Prioritize rapid verification rather than treating every Linux host as equally exposed. Patch confirmed IDT77252 users urgently, especially operational network systems. For systems without this driver or hardware, document non-exposure and follow normal kernel maintenance. No source in the bundle supports declaring an active incident.
Technical view
In the IDT77252 ATM driver's dequeue_rx() path, vcc->push() can release the socket buffer, but subsequent code dereferences that buffer. This creates a kernel use-after-free condition. Stable-kernel commits resolve the ordering error. The bundle assigns network-reachable, unauthenticated CVSS characteristics, but provides no demonstrated exploit path or confirmed attack outcome.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Linux systems containing and exercising the IDT77252 ATM driver. Kernel version alone is insufficient for prioritization; confirm driver configuration, loaded modules, relevant hardware, and vendor backports. The supplied version data is ambiguous and should be reconciled with distribution advisories and stable-kernel commits.
Exploitation context
The bundle reports no CISA KEV status and provides no evidence of active exploitation or public weaponization. CVSS rates the theoretical impact as critical and remotely reachable, but the sources do not establish practical reachability, exploit reliability, or whether code execution is achievable.
Researcher notes
The central defect is a post-callback skb dereference after ownership may transfer and memory may be released. Multiple stable-tree commits indicate backports across supported branches. The normalized affected-version list lacks explicit ranges and fix boundaries, so branch-specific commit ancestry or distribution package status should determine vulnerability—not string comparison alone.
Mitigation direction
- Install the corrected kernel supplied by the system or distribution vendor.
- Review Linux stable commits and vendor advisories to identify applicable backports.
- Disable or remove the IDT77252 ATM driver where operationally unnecessary.
- Restrict exposure of systems using affected ATM networking until remediation is verified.
Validation and detection
- Inventory kernel versions across systems using ATM networking.
- Check whether the IDT77252 driver is built, loaded, or bound to hardware.
- Confirm installed vendor kernel packages include the applicable stable fix.
- Review kernel logs for unexplained crashes or memory errors involving the ATM driver.
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-2024-44998 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
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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/628ea82190a678a56d2ec38cda3addf3b3a6248dCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/09e086a5f72ea27c758b3f3b419a69000c32adc1CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1cece837e387c039225f19028df255df87a97c0dCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/24cf390a5426aac9255205e9533cdd7b4235d518CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/379a6a326514a3e2f71b674091dfb0e0e7522b55CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef23c18ab88e33ce000d06a5c6aad0620f219bfdCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/91b4850e7165a4b7180ef1e227733bcb41ccdf10CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a9a18e8f770c9b0703dab93580d0b02e199a4c79CVE reference, Linux
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.htmlCVE reference, CVE
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/10/msg00003.htmlCVE reference, CVE
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.