---
id: CVE-2024-46679
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ethtool: check device is present when getting link settings

  A sysfs reader can race with a device reset or removal, attempting to
  read device state when the device is …
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ethtool: check device is present when getting link settings

  A sysfs reader can race with a device reset or removal, attempting to
  read device state when the device is …
severity: medium
cvss: 4.7
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 2.6.33, < 5.4.283'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.5, < 5.10.225'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.166'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.108'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.49'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.10.8'
  - linux_kernel = 6.11
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.10.8
published: '2024-09-13'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T01:18:51.997'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-46679'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d6d9b5b1b95bfeccb84386a51b7e6c510ec13b2'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7a8d98b6d6484d3ad358510366022da080c37cbc'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/842a40c7273ba1c1cb30dda50405b328de1d860e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/94ab317024ba373d37340893d1c0358638935fbb'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9bba5955eed160102114d4cc00c3d399be9bdae4'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a699781c79ecf6cfe67fb00a0331b4088c7c8466'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec7b4f7f644018ac293cb1b02528a40a32917e62'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/10/msg00003.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-265688.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-355557.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-613116.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00246
epssPercentile: 0.15745
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T03:30:12.742Z'
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2024-09-29T15:10:05.131175Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ethtool: check device is present when getting link settings

A sysfs reader can race with a device reset or removal, attempting to
read device state when the device is not actually present. eg:

     [exception RIP: qed_get_current_link+17]
  #8 [ffffb9e4f2907c48] qede_get_link_ksettings at ffffffffc07a994a [qede]
  #9 [ffffb9e4f2907cd8] __rh_call_get_link_ksettings at ffffffff992b01a3
 #10 [ffffb9e4f2907d38] __ethtool_get_link_ksettings at ffffffff992b04e4
 #11 [ffffb9e4f2907d90] duplex_show at ffffffff99260300
 #12 [ffffb9e4f2907e38] dev_attr_show at ffffffff9905a01c
 #13 [ffffb9e4f2907e50] sysfs_kf_seq_show at ffffffff98e0145b
 #14 [ffffb9e4f2907e68] seq_read at ffffffff98d902e3
 #15 [ffffb9e4f2907ec8] vfs_read at ffffffff98d657d1
 #16 [ffffb9e4f2907f00] ksys_read at ffffffff98d65c3f
 #17 [ffffb9e4f2907f38] do_syscall_64 at ffffffff98a052fb

 crash> struct net_device.state ffff9a9d21336000
    state = 5,

state 5 is __LINK_STATE_START (0b1) and __LINK_STATE_NOCARRIER (0b100).
The device is not present, note lack of __LINK_STATE_PRESENT (0b10).

This is the same sort of panic as observed in commit 4224cfd7fb65
("net-sysfs: add check for netdevice being present to speed_show").

There are many other callers of __ethtool_get_link_ksettings() which
don't have a device presence check.

Move this check into ethtool to protect all callers.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 2.6.33, < 5.4.283`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.5, < 5.10.225`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.166`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.108`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.49`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.10.8`
- `linux_kernel = 6.11`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.10.8`