CVE-2024-49914: 
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

A null pointer dereference vulnerability was discovered in the Linux kernel's AMD display driver, specifically in the dcn20_program_pipe function (CVE-2024-49914). The vulnerability was identified when pipe_ctx->plane_state could be null, leading to potential system instability. The issue was reported by the smatch static analysis tool and has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM) (NVD).

The vulnerability exists in the dcn20_program_pipe function within the AMD display driver. When pipe_ctx->plane_state is null and the code attempts to access it without proper validation, a null pointer dereference could occur. The issue was detected in the file path drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/../display/dc/hwss/dcn20/dcn20_hwseq.c at line 1925. The CVSS vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, indicating local access requirements and potential impact on system availability (NVD, Kernel Patch).

The vulnerability can lead to system instability through a null pointer dereference in the AMD display driver. While there are no direct confidentiality or integrity impacts, the vulnerability could cause system crashes or denial of service conditions, affecting system availability (NVD).

The vulnerability has been patched in the Linux kernel. The fix adds proper null pointer checks before accessing pipe_ctx->plane_state. Users should update their systems to a version containing the fix. The patch has been backported to various stable kernel versions (Kernel Patch).