CVE-2024-40961: Linux kernel · ipv6: prevent possible NULL deref in fib6_nh_init()
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 5.4.0-1132.142~18.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 12 Nov 2026, 19:04 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 5.4.0-1132.142~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1137.144~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1136.145~18.04.1 +71
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 12 Jul 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 12 Nov 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Patches and advisories
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6999-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7003-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7003-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7004-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7005-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7006-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7003-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7007-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7008-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7005-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7009-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7019-1 (opens in a new tab)
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-ibmpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-ibm?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: prevent possible NULL deref in fib6_nh_init() syzbot reminds us that in6_dev_get() can return NULL. fib6_nh_init() ip6_validate_gw( &idev ) ip6_route_check_nh( idev ) *idev = in6_dev_get(dev); // can be NULL Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc00000000bc: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN PTI KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x00000000000005e0-0x00000000000005e7] CPU: 0 PID: 11237 Comm: syz-executor.3 Not tainted 6.10.0-rc2-syzkaller-00249-gbe27b8965297 #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 06/07/2024 RIP: 0010:fib6_nh_init+0x640/0x2160 net/ipv6/route.c:3606 Code: 00 00 fc ff df 4c 8b 64 24 58 48 8b 44 24 28 4c 8b 74 24 30 48 89 c1 48 89 44 24 28 48 8d 98 e0 05 00 00 48 89 d8 48 c1 e8 03 <42> 0f b6 04 38 84 c0 0f 85 b3 17 00 00 8b 1b 31 ff 89 de e8 b8 8b RSP: 0018:ffffc900032775a0 EFLAGS: 00010202 RAX: 00000000000000bc RBX: 00000000000005e0 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000010 RSI: ffffc90003277a54 RDI: ffff88802b3a08d8 RBP: ffffc900032778b0 R08: 00000000000002fc R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 00000000000002fc R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffff88802b3a08b8 R13: 1ffff9200064eec8 R14: ffffc90003277a00 R15: dffffc0000000000 FS: 00007f940feb06c0(0000) GS:ffff8880b9400000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 00000000245e8000 CR4: 00000000003506f0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> ip6_route_info_create+0x99e/0x12b0 net/ipv6/route.c:3809 ip6_route_add+0x28/0x160 net/ipv6/route.c:3853 ipv6_route_ioctl+0x588/0x870 net/ipv6/route.c:4483 inet6_ioctl+0x21a/0x280 net/ipv6/af_inet6.c:579 sock_do_ioctl+0x158/0x460 net/socket.c:1222 sock_ioctl+0x629/0x8e0 net/socket.c:1341 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:907 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl+0xfc/0x170 fs/ioctl.c:893 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xf3/0x230 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f RIP: 0033:0x7f940f07cea9
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-40961 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-40961 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/2eab4543a2204092c3a7af81d7d6c506e59a03a6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3200ffeec4d59aad5bc9ca75d2c1fae47c0aeade (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/de5ad4d45cd0128a2a37555f48ab69aa19d78adc (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4cdfe813015d5a24586bd0a84fa0fa6eb0a1f668 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/88b9a55e2e35ea846d41f4efdc29d23345bd1aa4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6947723c9eabcab58cfb33cdb0a565a6aee6727 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae8d3d39efe366c2198f530e01e4bf07830bf403 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2eab4543a2204092c3a7af81d7d6c506e59a03a6 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6999-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7003-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7003-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7004-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7005-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7006-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7003-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7007-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7008-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7005-2 (opens in a new tab)