ale_300: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
CVE-2024-29149 is a high-severity time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in ale_300 from Alcatel-lucent, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.4 out of 10. It can be exploited with physical access to the device by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.2% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of ale_300 you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcatel-lucent | ale_300 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Alcatel-lucent | ale_400 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Alcatel-lucent | ale_500 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Alcatel-lucent | ale_20 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Alcatel-lucent | ale_30 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Alcatel-lucent | ale_20h | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Alcatel-lucent | ale_30h | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- PhysicalThe attacker must physically touch the device.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).
Official description
An issue was discovered in Alcatel-Lucent ALE NOE deskphones through 86x8_NOE-R300.1.40.12.4180 and SIP deskphones through 86x8_SIP-R200.1.01.10.728. Because of a time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability, an authenticated attacker is able to replace the verified firmware image with malicious firmware during the update process.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- The most basic advice for TOCTOU vulnerabilities is to not perform a check before the use. This does not resolve the underlying issue of the execution of a function on a resource whose state and identity cannot be assured, but it does help to limit the false sense of security given by the check.
- When the file being altered is owned by the current user and group, set the effective gid and uid to that of the current user and group when executing this statement.
- Limit the interleaving of operations on files from multiple processes.
More Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities (CWE-367)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
Recent Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities
- 7.7 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
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