# CVE-2024-41094: drm/fbdev-dma: Only set smem_start is enable per module option

> A kernel bug in DRM fbdev-dma causes a crash when DMA memory is backed by vmalloc, leading to denial of service on affected systems.

- **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:** 29 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-41094, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-41094, GHSA-54p6-r4cp-p6qq, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-41094

## What is CVE-2024-41094?

CVE-2024-41094 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 29 Jul 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:

drm/fbdev-dma: Only set smem_start is enable per module option

Only export struct fb_info.fix.smem_start if that is required by the
user and the memory does not come from vmalloc().

Setting struct fb_info.fix.smem_start breaks systems where DMA
memory is backed by vmalloc address space. An example error is
shown below.

[    3.536043] ------------[ cut here ]------------
[    3.540716] virt_to_phys used for non-linear address: 000000007fc4f540 (0xffff800086001000)
[    3.552628] WARNING: CPU: 4 PID: 61 at arch/arm64/mm/physaddr.c:12 __virt_to_phys+0x68/0x98
[    3.565455] Modules linked in:
[    3.568525] CPU: 4 PID: 61 Comm: kworker/u12:5 Not tainted 6.6.23-06226-g4986cc3e1b75-dirty #250
[    3.577310] Hardware name: NXP i.MX95 19X19 board (DT)
[    3.582452] Workqueue: events_unbound deferred_probe_work_func
[    3.588291] pstate: 60400009 (nZCv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
[    3.595233] pc : __virt_to_phys+0x68/0x98
[    3.599246] lr : __virt_to_phys+0x68/0x98
[    3.603276] sp : ffff800083603990
[    3.677939] Call trace:
[    3.680393]  __virt_to_phys+0x68/0x98
[    3.684067]  drm_fbdev_dma_helper_fb_probe+0x138/0x238
[    3.689214]  __drm_fb_helper_initial_config_and_unlock+0x2b0/0x4c0
[    3.695385]  drm_fb_helper_initial_config+0x4c/0x68
[    3.700264]  drm_fbdev_dma_client_hotplug+0x8c/0xe0
[    3.705161]  drm_client_register+0x60/0xb0
[    3.709269]  drm_fbdev_dma_setup+0x94/0x148

Additionally, DMA memory is assumed to by contiguous in physical
address space, which is not guaranteed by vmalloc().

Resolve this by checking the module flag drm_leak_fbdev_smem when
DRM allocated the instance of struct fb_info. Fbdev-dma then only
sets smem_start only if required (via FBINFO_HIDE_SMEM_START). Also
guarantee that the framebuffer is not located in vmalloc address
space.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-41094?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-41094?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-41094 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-41094 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-2024-41094 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-41094 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 29 Jul 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-2024-41094 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-2024-41094/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41094/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-41094
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-41094
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-41094

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41094/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
