# CVE-2024-36953: KVM: arm64: vgic-v2: Check for non-NULL vCPU in vgic_v2_parse_attr()

> A missing null check in the Linux kernel's KVM arm64 vgic-v2 driver allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service via a null pointer dereference.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 May 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-36953, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-36953, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-36953

## What is CVE-2024-36953?

CVE-2024-36953 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, 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:

KVM: arm64: vgic-v2: Check for non-NULL vCPU in vgic_v2_parse_attr()

vgic_v2_parse_attr() is responsible for finding the vCPU that matches
the user-provided CPUID, which (of course) may not be valid. If the ID
is invalid, kvm_get_vcpu_by_id() returns NULL, which isn't handled
gracefully.

Similar to the GICv3 uaccess flow, check that kvm_get_vcpu_by_id()
actually returns something and fail the ioctl if not.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-36953?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-36953?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-36953 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-36953 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-2024-36953 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-36953 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, 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-2024-36953 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-2024-36953/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36953/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-36953
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-36953
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-36953

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36953/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.