CVE-2024-57981

/// Technical description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

usb: xhci: Fix NULL pointer dereference on certain command aborts

If a command is queued to the final usable TRB of a ring segment, the

enqueue pointer is advanced to the subsequent link TRB and no further.

If the command is later aborted, when the abort completion is handled

the dequeue pointer is advanced to the first TRB of the next segment.

If no further commands are queued, xhci_handle_stopped_cmd_ring() sees

the ring pointers unequal and assumes that there is a pending command,

so it calls xhci_mod_cmd_timer() which crashes if cur_cmd was NULL.

Don't attempt timer setup if cur_cmd is NULL. The subsequent doorbell

ring likely is unnecessary too, but it's harmless. Leave it alone.

This is probably Bug 219532, but no confirmation has been received.

The issue has been independently reproduced and confirmed fixed using

a USB MCU programmed to NAK the Status stage of SET_ADDRESS forever.

Everything continued work

/// Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

/// References