CVE-2020-36788 drm/nouveau: avoid a use-after-free when BO init fails

High 7.8 Published Updated

A use-after-free in the Linux kernel's nouveau driver allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges when buffer object initialization fails.

Exploited in the wild
Not known
Login needed
Any signed-in user
Attackable
Local or same network only
Victim action needed
Not needed
Fix
Available

What is CVE-2020-36788?

CVE-2020-36788 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

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

drm/nouveau: avoid a use-after-free when BO init fails

nouveau_bo_init() is backed by ttm_bo_init() and ferries its return code back to the caller. On failures, ttm_bo_init() invokes the provided destructor which should de-initialize and free the memory.

Thus, when nouveau_bo_init() returns an error the gem object has already been released and the memory freed by nouveau_bo_del_ttm().

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-36788?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36788?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2020-36788 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36788 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2020-36788, GHSA-x52v-qr6m-xx85, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-36788.

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