# CVE-2024-38611: media: i2c: et8ek8: Don't strip remove function when driver is builtin

> A resource leak in the Linux kernel et8ek8 driver can lead to denial of service when the device is unbound while built-in.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Jun 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-38611, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-38611, GHSA-7576-jc69-87m3, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-38611

## What is CVE-2024-38611?

CVE-2024-38611 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jun 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

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

media: i2c: et8ek8: Don't strip remove function when driver is builtin

Using __exit for the remove function results in the remove callback
being discarded with CONFIG_VIDEO_ET8EK8=y. When such a device gets
unbound (e.g. using sysfs or hotplug), the driver is just removed
without the cleanup being performed. This results in resource leaks. Fix
it by compiling in the remove callback unconditionally.

This also fixes a W=1 modpost warning:

	WARNING: modpost: drivers/media/i2c/et8ek8/et8ek8: section mismatch in reference: et8ek8_i2c_driver+0x10 (section: .data) -> et8ek8_remove (section: .exit.text)

Weakness: CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-38611?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-38611?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-38611 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38611 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-2024-38611 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-38611 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jun 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38611 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-2024-38611/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38611/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38611
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38611
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38611

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38611/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.