Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A race condition in the Linux Venus media driver can let background error-handling work access memory after device removal has freed it. A successful local attack could potentially compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The supplied CVSS score is 7.8, but practical exposure depends on the vulnerable driver and kernel code being present and reachable.
Executive priority
Prioritize patch verification for multi-user or otherwise untrusted Linux systems using the Venus media driver. Treat exposed systems as high priority because potential impact spans data confidentiality, system integrity, and availability. Systems without the affected driver or reachable local users are lower urgency after validation.
Technical view
During venus_remove, venus_hfi_destroy can free hdev while venus_sys_error_handler continues and reaches hfi_reinit or venus_hfi_queues_reinit, producing a use-after-free. The upstream fix cancels pending work during removal. The CVSS vector indicates local access, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Likely exposure is limited to Linux systems containing a vulnerable Venus media driver where a local low-privileged user can reach the affected device lifecycle or error-handling path. The supplied version data is ambiguous, so kernel or distribution patch status should be verified directly rather than inferred from version numbers alone.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not identify public exploitation, exploit code, or observed attacks, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires local access with low privileges according to the supplied CVSS vector. The race condition may make exploitation timing-dependent, but the source does not establish practical reliability.
Researcher notes
The central condition is teardown racing with queued venus_sys_error_handler work after hdev is freed. Review whether cancellation is synchronous and occurs before HFI destruction in the applicable backport. The bundle provides multiple stable commits but does not map each commit clearly to affected and fixed release boundaries.
Mitigation direction
- Install a vendor-supported kernel containing the applicable stable fix.
- Check distribution security advisories before relying on kernel version numbers alone.
- Restrict untrusted local access while affected systems await updates.
- Disable the affected driver only if operationally acceptable and vendor-supported.
Validation and detection
- Inventory kernel builds on systems using the Venus media driver.
- Confirm the applicable stable commit or distribution backport is present.
- Verify scanners recognize vendor backports and do not rely solely on version strings.
- Regression-test driver removal and error handling after updating.
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-2024-49981 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/5098b9e6377577fe13d03e1d8914930f014a3314CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/63bbe26471ebdcc3c20bb4cc3950d666279ad658CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/60b6968341a6dd5353554f3e72db554693a128a5CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf6be32e2d39f6301ff1831e249d32a8744ab28aCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a541fcc0bd2b05a458e9613376df1289ec11621CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0686aedc5f1343442d044bd64eeac7e7a391f4eCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d925e9f7fb5a2dbefd1a73fc01061f38c7becd4cCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/10941d4f99a5a34999121b314afcd9c0a1c14f15CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5a85ed88e043474161bbfe54002c89c1cb50ee2CVE reference, Linux
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00002.htmlCVE reference, CVE
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.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.