# CVE-2024-39371: io_uring: check for non-NULL file pointer in io_file_can_poll()

> A local attacker can trigger a kernel crash via a NULL pointer dereference in the io_uring subsystem, causing a denial of service.

- **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:** 25 Jun 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-39371, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-39371, GHSA-3v8f-wj9v-rfpm, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-39371

## What is CVE-2024-39371?

CVE-2024-39371 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jun 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:

io_uring: check for non-NULL file pointer in io_file_can_poll()

In earlier kernels, it was possible to trigger a NULL pointer
dereference off the forced async preparation path, if no file had
been assigned. The trace leading to that looks as follows:

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000000b0
PGD 0 P4D 0
Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP
CPU: 67 PID: 1633 Comm: buf-ring-invali Not tainted 6.8.0-rc3+ #1
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS unknown 2/2/2022
RIP: 0010:io_buffer_select+0xc3/0x210
Code: 00 00 48 39 d1 0f 82 ae 00 00 00 48 81 4b 48 00 00 01 00 48 89 73 70 0f b7 50 0c 66 89 53 42 85 ed 0f 85 d2 00 00 00 48 8b 13 <48> 8b 92 b0 00 00 00 48 83 7a 40 00 0f 84 21 01 00 00 4c 8b 20 5b
RSP: 0018:ffffb7bec38c7d88 EFLAGS: 00010246
RAX: ffff97af2be61000 RBX: ffff97af234f1700 RCX: 0000000000000040
RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffff97aecfb04820 RDI: ffff97af234f1700
RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 0000000000200030 R09: 0000000000000020
R10: ffffb7bec38c7dc8 R11: 000000000000c000 R12: ffffb7bec38c7db8
R13: ffff97aecfb05800 R14: ffff97aecfb05800 R15: ffff97af2be5e000
FS:  00007f852f74b740(0000) GS:ffff97b1eeec0000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 00000000000000b0 CR3: 000000016deab005 CR4: 0000000000370ef0
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 ? __die+0x1f/0x60
 ? page_fault_oops+0x14d/0x420
 ? do_user_addr_fault+0x61/0x6a0
 ? exc_page_fault+0x6c/0x150
 ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x22/0x30
 ? io_buffer_select+0xc3/0x210
 __io_import_iovec+0xb5/0x120
 io_readv_prep_async+0x36/0x70
 io_queue_sqe_fallback+0x20/0x260
 io_submit_sqes+0x314/0x630
 __do_sys_io_uring_enter+0x339/0xbc0
 ? __do_sys_io_uring_register+0x11b/0xc50
 ? vm_mmap_pgoff+0xce/0x160
 do_syscall_64+0x5f/0x180
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0x4e
RIP: 0033:0x55e0a110a67e
Code: ba cc 00 00 00 45 31 c0 44 0f b6 92 d0 00 00 00 31 d2 41 b9 08 00 00 00 41 83 e2 01 41 c1 e2 04 41 09 c2 b8 aa 01 00 00 0f 05 <c3> 90 89 30 eb a9 0f 1f 40 00 48 8b 42 20 8b 00 a8 06 75 af 85 f6

because the request is marked forced ASYNC and has a bad file fd, and
hence takes the forced async prep path.

Current kernels with the request async prep cleaned up can no longer hit
this issue, but for ease of backporting, let's add this safety check in
here too as it really doesn't hurt. For both cases, this will inevitably
end with a CQE posted with -EBADF.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-39371?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-39371?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-39371 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-39371 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-2024-39371 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-39371 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jun 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-2024-39371 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-2024-39371/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-39371/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-39371
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-39371
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-39371

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-39371/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.