CVE-2024-26880 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's device mapper (dm) subsystem, specifically related to the handling of suspend and resume operations on internal device mapper targets. The flaw arises from improper pairing of the postsuspend and resume method calls within the dm internal resume function (__dm_internal_resume). During suspend/resume cycles, the origin_postsuspend function was called twice consecutively, leading to list corruption because the second call attempts to remove a "hash_list" entry that was already removed by the first call. This results in a kernel crash due to invalid list operations, as evidenced by the kernel BUG triggered in list_debug.c. The root cause is a logic error in the dm internal resume process where the preresume and resume methods of the device mapper targets were not correctly invoked. The fix involves ensuring that __dm_internal_resume properly calls the preresume and resume methods in the correct sequence. If a preresume method fails, the kernel sets the DMF_SUSPENDED flag and fakes a normal suspend to avoid crashing, though this may confuse userspace tools. The vulnerability can be triggered by operations involving the lvm2 testsuite or other device mapper targets that use suspend/resume methods. The CVSS v3.1 score is 6.3 (medium severity) with vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L, indicating network attack vector, low attack complexity, requiring privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitation leads to denial of service via kernel crash and potential data integrity issues due to list corruption. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet. The vulnerability affects Linux kernel versions identified by the given commit hashes, including kernel 6.8.0-rc6 as per the crash log.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to systems running Linux kernels with the affected device mapper code, especially those using LVM (Logical Volume Manager) or other device mapper targets that implement suspend/resume methods. The impact includes potential denial of service due to kernel crashes, which can disrupt critical services, especially in server environments, cloud infrastructure, and virtualized platforms where device mapper is commonly used. The integrity of storage management could also be compromised, potentially leading to data corruption or loss if the list corruption affects volume management operations. Organizations relying on Linux-based infrastructure for databases, file servers, or virtual machines may experience outages or degraded performance. Since the vulnerability requires local privileges to exploit (PR:L), attackers with limited access could escalate impact by causing system instability. This is particularly concerning for multi-tenant cloud providers and hosting services prevalent in Europe. The confusion caused by the workaround (faking suspend) may also lead to management or monitoring tools misreporting device states, complicating incident response. Overall, the vulnerability threatens availability and integrity of Linux-based storage management systems, which are widely deployed across European enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure.

1. Apply the official Linux kernel patches that fix the __dm_internal_resume function to ensure correct pairing of postsuspend and resume calls. Monitor Linux kernel security advisories and update kernels promptly. 2. For organizations unable to immediately patch, consider disabling or limiting use of device mapper suspend/resume features or avoid running the lvm2 testsuite or similar operations that trigger the vulnerability. 3. Implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges, reducing the risk of exploitation by unprivileged users. 4. Enhance monitoring of kernel logs and device mapper subsystem for signs of crashes or suspicious suspend/resume activity to detect exploitation attempts early. 5. Test kernel updates in staging environments to verify stability and compatibility with existing device mapper configurations before production deployment. 6. Educate system administrators about the vulnerability and the importance of timely patching, especially in environments using LVM or complex storage setups. 7. Consider deploying kernel live patching solutions where available to reduce downtime and exposure windows. 8. Review and harden userspace tools interacting with device mapper to handle unexpected suspend/resume states gracefully, minimizing operational confusion.