# CVE-2024-53113: mm: fix NULL pointer dereference in alloc\_pages\_bulk\_noprof

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-12-02 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.13

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm: fix NULL pointer dereference in alloc_pages_bulk_noprof We triggered a NULL pointer dereference for ac.preferred_zoneref->zone in alloc_pages_bulk_noprof() when the task is migrated between cpusets. When cpuset is enabled, in prepare_alloc_pages(), ac->nodemask may be &current->mems_allowed. when first_zones_zonelist() is called to find preferred_zoneref, the ac->nodemask may be modified concurrently if the task is migrated between different cpusets. Assuming we have 2 NUMA Node, when traversing Node1 in ac->zonelist, the nodemask is 2, and when traversing Node2 in ac->zonelist, the nodemask is 1. As a result, the ac->preferred_zoneref points to NULL zone. In alloc_pages_bulk_noprof(), for_each_zone_zonelist_nodemask() finds a allowable zone and calls zonelist_node_idx(ac.preferred_zoneref), leading to NULL pointer dereference. __alloc_pages_noprof() fixes this issue by checking NULL pointer in commit ea57485af8f4 ("mm, page_alloc: fix check for NULL preferred_zone") and commit df76cee6bbeb ("mm, page_alloc: remove redundant checks from alloc fastpath"). To fix it, check NULL pointer for preferred_zoneref->zone.

## 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/903d896448c2e50e8652aaba529a30d4d1eaa0e5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6addb2d9501ec866d7b3a3b4e665307c437e9be2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0f16cec79774c3132df006cf771eddd89d08f58
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/31502374627ba9ec3e710dbd0bb00457cc6d2c19
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ce41b0f9d77cca074df25afd39b86e2ee3aa68e

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