# CVE-2024-40957: seg6: fix parameter passing when calling NF_HOOK() in End.DX4 and End.DX6 behaviors

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's Segment Routing 6 implementation can cause a system crash when processing specific network packets.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-40957, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-40957, GHSA-968h-6229-65gg, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-40957

## What is CVE-2024-40957?

CVE-2024-40957 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 12 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

seg6: fix parameter passing when calling NF_HOOK() in End.DX4 and End.DX6 behaviors

input_action_end_dx4() and input_action_end_dx6() are called NF_HOOK() for
PREROUTING hook, in PREROUTING hook, we should passing a valid indev,
and a NULL outdev to NF_HOOK(), otherwise may trigger a NULL pointer
dereference, as below:

    [74830.647293] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000090
    [74830.655633] #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
    [74830.657888] #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
    [74830.659500] PGD 0 P4D 0
    [74830.660450] Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI
    ...
    [74830.664953] Hardware name: Red Hat KVM, BIOS 0.5.1 01/01/2011
    [74830.666569] RIP: 0010:rpfilter_mt+0x44/0x15e [ipt_rpfilter]
    ...
    [74830.689725] Call Trace:
    [74830.690402]  <IRQ>
    [74830.690953]  ? show_trace_log_lvl+0x1c4/0x2df
    [74830.692020]  ? show_trace_log_lvl+0x1c4/0x2df
    [74830.693095]  ? ipt_do_table+0x286/0x710 [ip_tables]
    [74830.694275]  ? __die_body.cold+0x8/0xd
    [74830.695205]  ? page_fault_oops+0xac/0x140
    [74830.696244]  ? exc_page_fault+0x62/0x150
    [74830.697225]  ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x22/0x30
    [74830.698344]  ? rpfilter_mt+0x44/0x15e [ipt_rpfilter]
    [74830.699540]  ipt_do_table+0x286/0x710 [ip_tables]
    [74830.700758]  ? ip6_route_input+0x19d/0x240
    [74830.701752]  nf_hook_slow+0x3f/0xb0
    [74830.702678]  input_action_end_dx4+0x19b/0x1e0
    [74830.703735]  ? input_action_end_t+0xe0/0xe0
    [74830.704734]  seg6_local_input_core+0x2d/0x60
    [74830.705782]  lwtunnel_input+0x5b/0xb0
    [74830.706690]  __netif_receive_skb_one_core+0x63/0xa0
    [74830.707825]  process_backlog+0x99/0x140
    [74830.709538]  __napi_poll+0x2c/0x160
    [74830.710673]  net_rx_action+0x296/0x350
    [74830.711860]  __do_softirq+0xcb/0x2ac
    [74830.713049]  do_softirq+0x63/0x90

input_action_end_dx4() passing a NULL indev to NF_HOOK(), and finally
trigger a NULL dereference in rpfilter_mt()->rpfilter_is_loopback():

    static bool
    rpfilter_is_loopback(const struct sk_buff *skb,
          	       const struct net_device *in)
    {
            // in is NULL
            return skb->pkt_type == PACKET_LOOPBACK ||
          	 in->flags & IFF_LOOPBACK;
    }

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-40957?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-40957?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-40957 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-40957 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-2024-40957 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-40957 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 12 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-40957 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-2024-40957/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-40957/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-40957
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-40957
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-40957

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-40957/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.