# CVE-2024-43859: f2fs: fix to truncate preallocated blocks in f2fs_file_open()

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel f2fs filesystem during mount can cause a system crash, requiring a kernel patch.

- **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:** 17 Aug 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** A-455892000, ASB-A-455892000, AZL-48039, BELL-CVE-2024-43859, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-43859, GHSA-xw4r-xjqg-mh9q, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-43859

## What is CVE-2024-43859?

CVE-2024-43859 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 17 Aug 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:

f2fs: fix to truncate preallocated blocks in f2fs_file_open()

chenyuwen reports a f2fs bug as below:

Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000011
 fscrypt_set_bio_crypt_ctx+0x78/0x1e8
 f2fs_grab_read_bio+0x78/0x208
 f2fs_submit_page_read+0x44/0x154
 f2fs_get_read_data_page+0x288/0x5f4
 f2fs_get_lock_data_page+0x60/0x190
 truncate_partial_data_page+0x108/0x4fc
 f2fs_do_truncate_blocks+0x344/0x5f0
 f2fs_truncate_blocks+0x6c/0x134
 f2fs_truncate+0xd8/0x200
 f2fs_iget+0x20c/0x5ac
 do_garbage_collect+0x5d0/0xf6c
 f2fs_gc+0x22c/0x6a4
 f2fs_disable_checkpoint+0xc8/0x310
 f2fs_fill_super+0x14bc/0x1764
 mount_bdev+0x1b4/0x21c
 f2fs_mount+0x20/0x30
 legacy_get_tree+0x50/0xbc
 vfs_get_tree+0x5c/0x1b0
 do_new_mount+0x298/0x4cc
 path_mount+0x33c/0x5fc
 __arm64_sys_mount+0xcc/0x15c
 invoke_syscall+0x60/0x150
 el0_svc_common+0xb8/0xf8
 do_el0_svc+0x28/0xa0
 el0_svc+0x24/0x84
 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x88/0xec

It is because inode.i_crypt_info is not initialized during below path:
- mount
 - f2fs_fill_super
  - f2fs_disable_checkpoint
   - f2fs_gc
    - f2fs_iget
     - f2fs_truncate

So, let's relocate truncation of preallocated blocks to f2fs_file_open(),
after fscrypt_file_open().

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-43859?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-43859?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-43859 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-43859 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-2024-43859 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-43859 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 17 Aug 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-2024-43859 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-2024-43859/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43859/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-43859
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-43859
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-43859

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43859/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.