CVE-2024-26970 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel, specifically within the Qualcomm (qcom) clock controller driver for the IPQ6018 platform. The issue arises from improperly terminated frequency table arrays used by the driver. Frequency tables are expected to be terminated with an empty element to signal the end of the array. However, in affected versions, this termination was missing, which can lead to out-of-bounds memory access when functions such as qcom_find_freq() or qcom_find_freq_floor() traverse these arrays. This out-of-bounds access corresponds to a CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) vulnerability. While the vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity directly, it affects availability by potentially causing kernel crashes or system instability due to invalid memory access. The vulnerability requires local privileges (AV:L) with low complexity (AC:L) and low privileges (PR:L), but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and the fix involves adding the missing terminating empty element to the frequency tables to prevent out-of-bounds traversal. This vulnerability is relevant to Linux kernel versions containing the affected Qualcomm clock driver code, particularly on devices using the IPQ6018 platform, which is commonly found in embedded and networking equipment. The patch has been compiled and tested, but no official patch links were provided in the source data.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-26970 depends largely on the deployment of Linux systems running on Qualcomm IPQ6018-based hardware, which is often used in embedded systems such as routers, IoT devices, and network infrastructure. An attacker with local access and low privileges could exploit this vulnerability to cause denial of service by crashing the kernel or destabilizing the system, potentially disrupting critical network services or embedded device operations. This could affect telecommunications providers, industrial control systems, and enterprises relying on embedded Linux devices. Although the vulnerability does not allow privilege escalation or data leakage directly, the availability impact could lead to operational downtime or degraded service quality. Given the medium severity and lack of known exploits, the immediate risk is moderate, but organizations should consider the potential for targeted attacks against network infrastructure devices that use affected hardware.

European organizations should first identify any Linux systems running on Qualcomm IPQ6018 hardware or similar platforms that include the affected clock driver. Mitigation steps include: 1) Applying the latest Linux kernel updates that include the fix for CVE-2024-26970 as soon as they become available from trusted Linux distributions or vendors. 2) For embedded devices or network equipment, coordinate with hardware vendors to obtain firmware updates incorporating the patched kernel. 3) Restrict local access to affected devices by enforcing strict access controls and monitoring for unauthorized logins or privilege escalations. 4) Implement robust network segmentation to limit exposure of critical embedded devices to untrusted users. 5) Monitor system logs and kernel crash reports for signs of exploitation attempts or instability related to the clock driver. 6) Where patching is not immediately feasible, consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling or limiting the use of affected hardware features if possible. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on hardware-specific identification, vendor coordination, and access control hardening.