CVE-2024-57918 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel, specifically within the Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) AMD display driver component. The flaw arises from inconsistent definitions of the maximum number of surfaces used by the Display Core (DC) driver. Two different constants, MAX_SURFACES and MAX_SURFACE_NUM, were used to define this limit, leading to a mismatch. This inconsistency can cause a page fault in kernel mode when the driver attempts to update display surfaces, particularly affecting AMD GPU versions that support two overlay planes and the cursor overlay mode. The vulnerability manifests as a kernel page fault (#PF) due to supervisor read access to a non-present page, resulting in an 'Oops' error and potential kernel crash. The detailed kernel logs indicate the fault occurs in the function copy_stream_update_to_stream within the amdgpu driver, triggered during the commit of display state changes. This bug was notably observed on Valve Jupiter hardware running Linux kernel version 6.10.0+, causing instability for users of Cosmic AMD display versions. The root cause was addressed by consolidating the surface limit definitions into a single consistent value (MAX_SURFACES) to prevent the mismatch and subsequent page fault. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The vulnerability requires kernel-level execution context and is triggered by display driver operations, implying no direct remote exploitation without prior system access.

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily threatens system stability and availability on Linux systems utilizing AMD GPUs with affected drivers. Organizations relying on Linux servers or workstations with AMD graphics hardware, especially those using overlay planes or cursor overlay modes, may experience kernel crashes leading to service interruptions or system reboots. This can impact critical infrastructure, development environments, or any graphical workloads dependent on AMD GPUs. Although the vulnerability does not directly expose confidentiality or integrity risks, repeated kernel faults could lead to denial of service conditions, affecting operational continuity. In environments where Linux is used for workstation graphics or specialized computing (e.g., media production, scientific visualization), this could degrade productivity. The lack of remote exploitability limits the threat to local or privileged users, but insider threats or compromised systems could trigger the fault to cause disruption. European organizations with high reliance on Linux AMD GPU systems should prioritize patching to maintain system reliability.

1. Apply the official Linux kernel patches that consolidate the MAX_SURFACES definitions and fix the page fault issue. Ensure kernel versions are updated to include the commit referenced (commit 1c86c81a86c60f9b15d3e3f43af0363cf56063e7) or later stable releases containing the fix. 2. For organizations unable to immediately update kernels, consider disabling features related to overlay planes or cursor overlay modes in the AMD GPU driver configuration to reduce the risk of triggering the fault. 3. Monitor system logs for kernel page faults or Oops messages related to amdgpu and drm_kms_helper components to detect potential triggering of this vulnerability. 4. Limit local user privileges to prevent unauthorized triggering of kernel-level faults via display driver operations. 5. In virtualized or containerized environments, ensure that AMD GPU passthrough or sharing configurations are updated and tested with patched kernels. 6. Coordinate with hardware vendors (e.g., AMD, Valve) for firmware or driver updates that complement kernel fixes. 7. Maintain robust backup and recovery procedures to mitigate impact from unexpected system crashes.