# CVE-2024-50048: fbcon: Fix a NULL pointer dereference issue in fbcon\_putcs

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-10-21 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.19

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbcon: Fix a NULL pointer dereference issue in fbcon_putcs syzbot has found a NULL pointer dereference bug in fbcon. Here is the simplified C reproducer: struct param { uint8_t type; struct tiocl_selection ts; }; int main() { struct fb_con2fbmap con2fb; struct param param; int fd = open("/dev/fb1", 0, 0); con2fb.console = 0x19; con2fb.framebuffer = 0; ioctl(fd, FBIOPUT_CON2FBMAP, &con2fb); param.type = 2; param.ts.xs = 0; param.ts.ys = 0; param.ts.xe = 0; param.ts.ye = 0; param.ts.sel_mode = 0; int fd1 = open("/dev/tty1", O_RDWR, 0); ioctl(fd1, TIOCLINUX, &param); con2fb.console = 1; con2fb.framebuffer = 0; ioctl(fd, FBIOPUT_CON2FBMAP, &con2fb); return 0; } After calling ioctl(fd1, TIOCLINUX, &param), the subsequent ioctl(fd, FBIOPUT_CON2FBMAP, &con2fb) causes the kernel to follow a different execution path: set_con2fb_map -> con2fb_init_display -> fbcon_set_disp -> redraw_screen -> hide_cursor -> clear_selection -> highlight -> invert_screen -> do_update_region -> fbcon_putcs -> ops->putcs Since ops->putcs is a NULL pointer, this leads to a kernel panic. To prevent this, we need to call set_blitting_type() within set_con2fb_map() to properly initialize ops->putcs.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
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## 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/8266ae6eafdcd5a3136592445ff4038bbc7ee80e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f7fb5dda555344529ce584ff7a28b109528d2f1b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5c2dba62996a3a6eeb34bd248b90fc69c5a6a1b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b97eebcce1b4f3f07a71f635d6aa3af96c236e7

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