# CVE-2024-45017: net/mlx5: Fix IPsec RoCE MPV trace call

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel mlx5 driver can cause a system crash when IPsec is configured on unsupported slave devices.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-45017, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-45017, GHSA-j8r5-27mh-4xh9, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-45017

## What is CVE-2024-45017?

CVE-2024-45017 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 11 Sep 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:

net/mlx5: Fix IPsec RoCE MPV trace call

Prevent the call trace below from happening, by not allowing IPsec
creation over a slave, if master device doesn't support IPsec.

WARNING: CPU: 44 PID: 16136 at kernel/locking/rwsem.c:240 down_read+0x75/0x94
Modules linked in: esp4_offload esp4 act_mirred act_vlan cls_flower sch_ingress mlx5_vdpa vringh vhost_iotlb vdpa mst_pciconf(OE) nfsv3 nfs_acl nfs lockd grace fscache netfs xt_CHECKSUM xt_MASQUERADE xt_conntrack ipt_REJECT nf_reject_ipv4 nft_compat nft_counter nft_chain_nat nf_nat nf_conntrack nf_defrag_ipv6 nf_defrag_ipv4 rfkill cuse fuse rpcrdma sunrpc rdma_ucm ib_srpt ib_isert iscsi_target_mod target_core_mod ib_umad ib_iser libiscsi scsi_transport_iscsi rdma_cm ib_ipoib iw_cm ib_cm ipmi_ssif intel_rapl_msr intel_rapl_common amd64_edac edac_mce_amd kvm_amd kvm irqbypass crct10dif_pclmul crc32_pclmul mlx5_ib ghash_clmulni_intel sha1_ssse3 dell_smbios ib_uverbs aesni_intel crypto_simd dcdbas wmi_bmof dell_wmi_descriptor cryptd pcspkr ib_core acpi_ipmi sp5100_tco ccp i2c_piix4 ipmi_si ptdma k10temp ipmi_devintf ipmi_msghandler acpi_power_meter acpi_cpufreq ext4 mbcache jbd2 sd_mod t10_pi sg mgag200 drm_kms_helper syscopyarea sysfillrect mlx5_core sysimgblt fb_sys_fops cec
 ahci libahci mlxfw drm pci_hyperv_intf libata tg3 sha256_ssse3 tls megaraid_sas i2c_algo_bit psample wmi dm_mirror dm_region_hash dm_log dm_mod [last unloaded: mst_pci]
CPU: 44 PID: 16136 Comm: kworker/44:3 Kdump: loaded Tainted: GOE 5.15.0-20240509.el8uek.uek7_u3_update_v6.6_ipsec_bf.x86_64 #2
Hardware name: Dell Inc. PowerEdge R7525/074H08, BIOS 2.0.3 01/15/2021
Workqueue: events xfrm_state_gc_task
RIP: 0010:down_read+0x75/0x94
Code: 00 48 8b 45 08 65 48 8b 14 25 80 fc 01 00 83 e0 02 48 09 d0 48 83 c8 01 48 89 45 08 5d 31 c0 89 c2 89 c6 89 c7 e9 cb 88 3b 00 <0f> 0b 48 8b 45 08 a8 01 74 b2 a8 02 75 ae 48 89 c2 48 83 ca 02 f0
RSP: 0018:ffffb26387773da8 EFLAGS: 00010282
RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffa08b658af900 RCX: 0000000000000001
RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ff886bc5e1366f2f RDI: 0000000000000000
RBP: ffffa08b658af940 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000
R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffffa0a9bfb31540
R13: ffffa0a9bfb37900 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffffa0a9bfb37905
FS:  0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffffa0a9bfb00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 000055a45ed814e8 CR3: 000000109038a000 CR4: 0000000000350ee0
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 ? show_trace_log_lvl+0x1d6/0x2f9
 ? show_trace_log_lvl+0x1d6/0x2f9
 ? mlx5_devcom_for_each_peer_begin+0x29/0x60 [mlx5_core]
 ? down_read+0x75/0x94
 ? __warn+0x80/0x113
 ? down_read+0x75/0x94
 ? report_bug+0xa4/0x11d
 ? handle_bug+0x35/0x8b
 ? exc_invalid_op+0x14/0x75
 ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x16/0x1b
 ? down_read+0x75/0x94
 ? down_read+0xe/0x94
 mlx5_devcom_for_each_peer_begin+0x29/0x60 [mlx5_core]
 mlx5_ipsec_fs_roce_tx_destroy+0xb1/0x130 [mlx5_core]
 tx_destroy+0x1b/0xc0 [mlx5_core]
 tx_ft_put+0x53/0xc0 [mlx5_core]
 mlx5e_xfrm_free_state+0x45/0x90 [mlx5_core]
 ___xfrm_state_destroy+0x10f/0x1a2
 xfrm_state_gc_task+0x81/0xa9
 process_one_work+0x1f1/0x3c6
 worker_thread+0x53/0x3e4
 ? process_one_work.cold+0x46/0x3c
 kthread+0x127/0x144
 ? set_kthread_struct+0x60/0x52
 ret_from_fork+0x22/0x2d
 </TASK>
---[ end trace 5ef7896144d398e1 ]---

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-45017?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-45017?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-45017 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-45017 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-2024-45017 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-45017 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 11 Sep 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-2024-45017 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-2024-45017/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45017/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-45017
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-45017
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-45017

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45017/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.