# CVE-2024-35996: cpu: Re-enable CPU mitigations by default for !X86 architectures

> Non-x86 Linux kernels may disable CPU mitigations by default, allowing attackers to bypass security protections if specific build configurations are used.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 May 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-35996, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-35996, GHSA-jxch-924p-fpfw, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-35996

## What is CVE-2024-35996?

CVE-2024-35996 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 20 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:

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.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-35996?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-35996?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-35996 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-35996 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-35996 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-35996 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 20 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-35996 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35996/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35996/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-35996
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-35996
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-35996

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35996/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.