# CVE-2024-36893: usb: typec: tcpm: Check for port partner validity before consuming it

> A missing validity check in the Linux kernel USB Type-C driver allows a local attacker to trigger a kernel crash via null pointer dereference.

- **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:** 30 May 2024
- **Updated:** 23 May 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-42465, AZL-42496, BELL-CVE-2024-36893, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-36893, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-36893

## What is CVE-2024-36893?

CVE-2024-36893 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 30 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:

usb: typec: tcpm: Check for port partner validity before consuming it

typec_register_partner() does not guarantee partner registration
to always succeed. In the event of failure, port->partner is set
to the error value or NULL. Given that port->partner validity is
not checked, this results in the following crash:

Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address xx
 pc : run_state_machine+0x1bc8/0x1c08
 lr : run_state_machine+0x1b90/0x1c08
..
 Call trace:
   run_state_machine+0x1bc8/0x1c08
   tcpm_state_machine_work+0x94/0xe4
   kthread_worker_fn+0x118/0x328
   kthread+0x1d0/0x23c
   ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20

To prevent the crash, check for port->partner validity before
derefencing it in all the call sites.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-36893?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-36893?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-36893 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-36893 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-36893 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-36893 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 30 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-2024-36893 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2024-36893/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36893/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-36893
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-36893
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-36893

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36893/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.