CVE-2024-36020 — i40e: fix vf may be used uninitialized in this function warning
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i40e: fix vf may be used uninitialized in this function warning To fix the regression introduced by commit 52424f974bc5, which causes servers hang in very hard to reproduce conditions with resets races. Using two sources for the information is the root cause. In this function before the fix bumping v didn't mean bumping vf pointer. But the code used this variables interchangeably, so stale vf could point to different/not intended vf. Remove redundant "v" variable and iterate via single VF pointer across whole function instead to guarantee VF pointer validity.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+2
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Debian Debian Linux, Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | Debian Linux | version 10.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Linux | Linux |
≥ 52424f974bc53c26ba3f00300a00e9de9afcd972 and < f37c4eac99c258111d414d31b740437e1925b8e8≥ 76ed715836c6994bac29d9638e9314e6e3b08651 and < cc9cd02dd9e8b7764ea9effb24f4f1dd73d1b23d≥ e88c2a1e28c5475065563d66c07ca879a9afbd07 and < 9dcf0fcb80f6aeb01469e3c957f8d4c97365450a≥ 9abae363af5ced6adbf04c14366289540281fb26 and < b8e82128b44fa40bf99a50b919488ef361e1683c≥ c39de3ae5075ea5f78e097cb5720d4e52d5caed9 and < 951d2748a2a8242853abc3d0c153ce4bf8faad31≥ 52424f974bc53c26ba3f00300a00e9de9afcd972 and < 3e89846283f3cf7c7a8e28b342576fd7c561d2ba≥ 52424f974bc53c26ba3f00300a00e9de9afcd972 and < 0dcf573f997732702917af1563aa2493dc772fc0≥ 52424f974bc53c26ba3f00300a00e9de9afcd972 and < 06df7618f591b2dc43c59967e294d7b9fc8675b6 and 7 moreversion 02f949747e6fb767b29f7931d4bbf40911684e7a≥ 4.19.264 and < 4.19.312≥ 5.4.223 and < 5.4.274≥ 5.10.153 and < 5.10.215≥ 5.15.77 and < 5.15.154≥ 6.0.7 and < 6.1version 6.1 |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
version 6.9-rc1version 6.9-rc2version 6.1-rc8version 6.1-rc7version 6.1-rc6version 6.1-rc5version 6.1-rc4version 6.1-rc3 and 9 moreversion 6.1≥ 6.7 and < 6.8.5≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.26≥ 6.1.1 and < 6.1.85≥ 6.0.7 and < 6.1≥ 5.15.77 and < 5.15.154≥ 5.10.153 and < 5.10.215≥ 5.4.223 and < 5.4.274≥ 4.19.264 and < 4.19.312 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.8 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · linux/linux kernel, debian/debian linux
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2024
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
References
11 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f37c4eac99c258111d414d31b740437e1925b8e8
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9dcf0fcb80f6aeb01469e3c957f8d4c97365450a
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0dcf573f997732702917af1563aa2493dc772fc0
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e89846283f3cf7c7a8e28b342576fd7c561d2ba
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b8e82128b44fa40bf99a50b919488ef361e1683c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cc9cd02dd9e8b7764ea9effb24f4f1dd73d1b23d
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/951d2748a2a8242853abc3d0c153ce4bf8faad31
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/06df7618f591b2dc43c59967e294d7b9fc8675b6
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00017.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00020.html
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-265688.html
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 11h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 11h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2024-36020 is "i40e: fix vf may be used uninitialized in this function warning", rated Medium. It affects Debian Linux (Debian); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.26% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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