# CVE-2024-46774: powerpc/rtas: Prevent Spectre v1 gadget construction in sys_rtas()

> Attackers can exploit speculative execution flaws in the Linux kernel's RTAS interface to potentially leak sensitive memory contents.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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:** 18 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-46774, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-46774, GHSA-6qfm-4c78-cfqr, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2024-46774, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2024-46774, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-46774

## What is CVE-2024-46774?

CVE-2024-46774 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 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:

powerpc/rtas: Prevent Spectre v1 gadget construction in sys_rtas()

Smatch warns:

  arch/powerpc/kernel/rtas.c:1932 __do_sys_rtas() warn: potential
  spectre issue 'args.args' [r] (local cap)

The 'nargs' and 'nret' locals come directly from a user-supplied
buffer and are used as indexes into a small stack-based array and as
inputs to copy_to_user() after they are subject to bounds checks.

Use array_index_nospec() after the bounds checks to clamp these values
for speculative execution.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-46774?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-46774?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-46774 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-46774 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-2024-46774 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-46774 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 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-2024-46774 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-2024-46774/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46774/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-46774
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-46774
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-46774

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46774/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.