Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2024-57989 is a Linux kernel Wi-Fi driver reliability flaw. A failed memory allocation in the MediaTek mt7925 path may be used without a NULL check, which can crash affected systems. The disclosed impact is availability, not data theft or privilege escalation.
Executive priority
Handle through normal kernel patch management, with higher priority for Linux endpoints using MediaTek mt7925 wireless hardware. This is not evidenced as remotely exploitable or actively exploited, but it can affect availability on exposed local systems.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-476 in mt7925_change_vif_links within the mt76 mt7925 Wi-Fi driver. devm_kzalloc() can return NULL, but the value was not checked before use. CVSS 3.1 is 5.5, local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, high availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Linux systems running affected kernel builds with the mt76 mt7925 Wi-Fi driver present or enabled. The source lists Linux 6.11, 6.12.13, 6.13.2, and 6.14-related affected entries, but distro-specific package mapping is not provided.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. CVSS indicates local, low-privilege conditions. Based on the cited data, treat this primarily as a local denial-of-service risk against affected Linux hosts.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports a NULL pointer dereference caused by unchecked devm_kzalloc() in mt7925_change_vif_links. The source bundle gives upstream stable references but limited downstream distro mapping, so affected package validation requires vendor advisory correlation.
Mitigation direction
- Apply the relevant upstream stable kernel fix or vendor-provided kernel update.
- Prioritize laptops, workstations, or devices using MediaTek mt7925 Wi-Fi hardware.
- Check Linux distribution advisories for backported fixes and package names.
- Avoid direct wrangler-style assumptions; validate against kernel vendor guidance.
- Schedule reboot or driver reload according to normal kernel update procedures.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux kernel versions across endpoint and device fleets.
- Identify systems with mt76 or mt7925 Wi-Fi driver support enabled.
- Compare running kernels against vendor advisories and cited stable commits.
- Confirm patched kernels include the NULL-check fix for mt7925_change_vif_links.
- Monitor for local crash reports involving mt7925 or mt76 wireless paths.
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
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2024-57989 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
- 5.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H1.83.6CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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/5872530c2862700070223a2c2ea85642bf2f8875CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f709fe755c16b811ba7339ae4c3ee2c72323d3dCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5cd0bd815c8a48862a296df9b30e0ea0da14acd3CVE 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.