# CVE-2024-56599: wifi: ath10k: avoid NULL pointer error during sdio remove

> A NULL pointer dereference in the ath10k SDIO driver causes a kernel panic during module removal when specific kernel configurations are enabled.

- **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:** 27 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-55148, AZL-55209, BELL-CVE-2024-56599, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-56599, GHSA-h88r-39vx-9655, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-56599

## What is CVE-2024-56599?

CVE-2024-56599 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 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:

wifi: ath10k: avoid NULL pointer error during sdio remove

When running 'rmmod ath10k', ath10k_sdio_remove() will free sdio
workqueue by destroy_workqueue(). But if CONFIG_INIT_ON_FREE_DEFAULT_ON
is set to yes, kernel panic will happen:
Call trace:
 destroy_workqueue+0x1c/0x258
 ath10k_sdio_remove+0x84/0x94
 sdio_bus_remove+0x50/0x16c
 device_release_driver_internal+0x188/0x25c
 device_driver_detach+0x20/0x2c

This is because during 'rmmod ath10k', ath10k_sdio_remove() will call
ath10k_core_destroy() before destroy_workqueue(). wiphy_dev_release()
will finally be called in ath10k_core_destroy(). This function will free
struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev and all its members, including
wiphy, dev and the pointer of sdio workqueue. Then the pointer of sdio
workqueue will be set to NULL due to CONFIG_INIT_ON_FREE_DEFAULT_ON.

After device release, destroy_workqueue() will use NULL pointer then the
kernel panic happen.

Call trace:
ath10k_sdio_remove
  ->ath10k_core_unregister
    ……
    ->ath10k_core_stop
      ->ath10k_hif_stop
        ->ath10k_sdio_irq_disable
    ->ath10k_hif_power_down
      ->del_timer_sync(&ar_sdio->sleep_timer)
  ->ath10k_core_destroy
    ->ath10k_mac_destroy
      ->ieee80211_free_hw
        ->wiphy_free
    ……
          ->wiphy_dev_release
  ->destroy_workqueue

Need to call destroy_workqueue() before ath10k_core_destroy(), free
the work queue buffer first and then free pointer of work queue by
ath10k_core_destroy(). This order matches the error path order in
ath10k_sdio_probe().

No work will be queued on sdio workqueue between it is destroyed and
ath10k_core_destroy() is called. Based on the call_stack above, the
reason is:
Only ath10k_sdio_sleep_timer_handler(), ath10k_sdio_hif_tx_sg() and
ath10k_sdio_irq_disable() will queue work on sdio workqueue.
Sleep timer will be deleted before ath10k_core_destroy() in
ath10k_hif_power_down().
ath10k_sdio_irq_disable() only be called in ath10k_hif_stop().
ath10k_core_unregister() will call ath10k_hif_power_down() to stop hif
bus, so ath10k_sdio_hif_tx_sg() won't be called anymore.

Tested-on: QCA6174 hw3.2 SDIO WLAN.RMH.4.4.1-00189

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-56599?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-56599?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-56599 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-56599 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-2024-56599 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-56599 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 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-2024-56599 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-2024-56599/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56599/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-56599
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-56599
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-56599

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56599/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.