CVE-2024-36949 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel specifically affecting the AMD Kernel Fusion Driver (amdkfd) component, which manages AMD GPU devices. The vulnerability arises during the reset process of multiple AMD devices operating in parallel. When more than one device attempts a reset simultaneously, the first device initiates a call to kfd_suspend_all_processes() to evict all processes from all devices. This eviction process is time-consuming. Meanwhile, other devices may begin their reset and recovery procedures without waiting for the eviction to complete. If a process has not been fully evicted before recovery, it is restored prematurely, which can lead to page faults due to inconsistent memory states. This race condition between device resets and process eviction can cause system instability, potentially leading to crashes or memory corruption. The vulnerability is rooted in improper synchronization when handling multiple device resets concurrently, which affects the integrity and availability of the system. It is important to note that this issue is specific to AMD GPU devices managed by the amdkfd driver within the Linux kernel and requires parallel device resets to manifest. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet.

For European organizations, especially those relying on Linux systems with AMD GPUs for high-performance computing, data centers, or graphical workloads, this vulnerability poses a risk to system stability and availability. The improper synchronization during device resets can cause unexpected system crashes or memory faults, potentially disrupting critical services or computational tasks. Organizations in sectors such as scientific research, financial services, and media production that utilize AMD GPU-accelerated Linux servers could experience downtime or data processing interruptions. Although there is no indication of direct confidentiality breaches, the integrity and availability of affected systems are at risk. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate threat levels, but the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks or cause accidental outages in multi-GPU environments. European organizations with complex GPU deployments should be aware of this risk, as recovery from such faults may require system reboots or manual intervention, impacting operational continuity.

To mitigate CVE-2024-36949, European organizations should prioritize applying the latest Linux kernel patches that address the synchronization issue in the amdkfd driver. Since the vulnerability arises during parallel device resets, administrators should avoid simultaneous resets of multiple AMD GPU devices until patches are applied. Implement monitoring to detect frequent GPU resets or page faults that may indicate attempts to exploit this condition or accidental triggering. For environments with critical uptime requirements, consider isolating workloads to single GPU devices or scheduling maintenance windows for device resets to prevent concurrent resets. Additionally, review and update system recovery procedures to handle potential crashes caused by this vulnerability efficiently. Engage with Linux distribution vendors to ensure timely receipt of security updates and verify that kernel versions in use include the fix. Finally, maintain robust backup and disaster recovery plans to minimize impact from unexpected system outages.