CVE-2024-57987 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth subsystem, specifically within the btrtl driver responsible for Realtek Bluetooth chipsets. The issue arises when a USB Bluetooth dongle containing a chipset that is not listed in the driver's internal ic_id_table is inserted. In such cases, the driver attempts to access data related to the chipset without verifying its presence in the table, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. This results in a kernel oops, which is a type of kernel crash that can cause the system to become unstable or reboot unexpectedly. The vulnerability is rooted in insufficient input validation and error handling in the btrtl_setup_realtek() function. The fix involves adding a NULL pointer check to prevent the kernel from dereferencing invalid pointers when encountering unsupported or unknown Realtek Bluetooth chipsets. This vulnerability does not appear to have any known exploits in the wild as of the publication date, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The affected versions are identified by a specific commit hash, indicating that the issue is tied to a particular state of the Linux kernel source code. The problem is limited to the Bluetooth driver handling Realtek chipsets and does not affect other parts of the kernel or other Bluetooth drivers.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-57987 primarily concerns system stability and availability. Since the vulnerability causes a kernel oops when an unsupported Realtek Bluetooth USB dongle is inserted, affected systems may experience crashes or reboots, leading to potential downtime. This can disrupt business operations, especially in environments relying on Linux-based systems with Bluetooth connectivity for peripherals or IoT devices. Confidentiality and integrity impacts are minimal because the vulnerability does not provide a direct path for privilege escalation or unauthorized data access. However, repeated crashes could be leveraged in denial-of-service scenarios if an attacker has physical access or can induce the insertion of malicious or unsupported dongles. The lack of known exploits and the requirement for physical device insertion limit the threat's scope. Nonetheless, organizations with Linux systems that use Realtek Bluetooth dongles should be aware of potential stability issues and plan for patching to maintain operational continuity.

To mitigate CVE-2024-57987, European organizations should: 1) Apply the latest Linux kernel updates that include the patch adding the NULL pointer check in the btrtl driver. Monitoring Linux kernel mailing lists or vendor advisories for the specific patch is recommended. 2) Implement strict device control policies to restrict the use of unauthorized or unknown USB Bluetooth dongles, reducing the risk of accidental or malicious insertion of unsupported devices. 3) Employ endpoint security solutions capable of monitoring USB device insertions and alerting on unrecognized hardware. 4) For critical systems, consider disabling Bluetooth functionality if it is not required, thereby eliminating the attack surface related to this vulnerability. 5) Conduct regular system stability testing after patch deployment to ensure that the fix does not introduce regressions and that systems remain stable under normal operational conditions. 6) Educate IT staff about the vulnerability and the importance of controlling physical access to systems to prevent exploitation through device insertion.