CVE-2024-35996

MEDIUM

Linux Kernel - CPU Mitigations Bypass via Kconfig Misconfiguration

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cpu: Re-enable CPU mitigations by default for !X86 architectures Rename x86's to CPU_MITIGATIONS, define it in generic code, and force it on for all architectures exception x86. A recent commit to turn mitigations off by default if SPECULATION_MITIGATIONS=n kinda sorta missed that "cpu_mitigations" is completely generic, whereas SPECULATION_MITIGATIONS is x86-specific. Rename x86's SPECULATIVE_MITIGATIONS instead of keeping both and have it select CPU_MITIGATIONS, as having two configs for the same thing is unnecessary and confusing. This will also allow x86 to use the knob to manage mitigations that aren't strictly related to speculative execution. Use another Kconfig to communicate to common code that CPU_MITIGATIONS is already defined instead of having x86's menu depend on the common CPU_MITIGATIONS. This allows keeping a single point of contact for all of x86's mitigations, and it's not clear that other architectures *want* to allow disabling mitigations at compile-time.

Scores

CVSS v3 5.5
EPSS 0.0003
EPSS Percentile 10.5%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation none
Automatable no
Technical Impact partial

Details

Status published
Products (17)
debian/debian_linux 10.0
linux/Kernel 5.15.156 - 5.15.158linux
linux/Kernel 6.1.87 - 6.1.90linux
linux/Kernel 6.6.28 - 6.6.30linux
linux/Kernel 6.8.7 - 6.8.9linux
Linux/Linux 2978ee7c973ce81b6e51100ba1e5ae001af624b9 - 8292f4f8dd1b005d0688d726261004f816ef730a
Linux/Linux 30da4180fd768973189dc364648f9c436e57b01d - af6d6a923b40bf6471e44067ac61cc5814b48e7f
Linux/Linux 5.15.156 - 5.15.158
Linux/Linux 6.1.87 - 6.1.90
Linux/Linux 6.6.28 - 6.6.30
... and 7 more
Published May 20, 2024
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026