CVE-2024-36969: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/amd/display: Fix division by zero in setup_dsc_config When slice_height is 0, the division by slice_height in the calculation of the number of slices will cause a division by zero driver crash. This leaves the kernel in a state that requires a reboot. This patch adds a check to avoid the division by zero. The stack trace below is for the 6.8.4 Kernel. I reproduced the issue on a Z16 Gen 2 Lenovo Thinkpad with a Apple Studio Display monitor connected via Thunderbolt. The amdgpu driver crashed with this exception when I rebooted the system with the monitor connected. kernel: ? die (arch/x86/kernel/dumpstack.c:421 arch/x86/kernel/dumpstack.c:434 arch/x86/kernel/dumpstack.c:447) kernel: ? do_trap (arch/x86/kernel/traps.c:113 arch/x86/kernel/traps.c:154) kernel: ? setup_dsc_config (drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/../display/dc/dsc/dc_dsc.c:1053) amdgpu kernel: ? do_error_trap (./arch/x86/include/asm/traps.h:58 arch/x86/kernel/traps.c:175) kernel: ? setup_dsc_config (drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/../display/dc/dsc/dc_dsc.c:1053) amdgpu kernel: ? exc_divide_error (arch/x86/kernel/traps.c:194 (discriminator 2)) kernel: ? setup_dsc_config (drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/../display/dc/dsc/dc_dsc.c:1053) amdgpu kernel: ? asm_exc_divide_error (./arch/x86/include/asm/idtentry.h:548) kernel: ? setup_dsc_config (drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/../display/dc/dsc/dc_dsc.c:1053) amdgpu kernel: dc_dsc_compute_config (drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/../display/dc/dsc/dc_dsc.c:1109) amdgpu After applying this patch, the driver no longer crashes when the monitor is connected and the system is rebooted. I believe this is the same issue reported for 3113.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2024-36969, a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
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