Linux: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2024-38388 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 191dc1b2ff0fb35e7aff15a53224837637df8bff, 6e359be4975006ff72818e79dad8fe48293f2eb2, 3291486af5636540980ea55bae985f3eaa5b0740 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.23% 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
- Update Linux to 191dc1b2ff0fb35e7aff15a53224837637df8bff or 6e359be4975006ff72818e79dad8fe48293f2eb2 or 3291486af5636540980ea55bae985f3eaa5b0740 or 172811e3a557d8681a5e2d0f871dc04a2d17eb13, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.93 or 6.6.33 or 6.9.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 3233b978af23f11b4ad4f7f11a9a64bd05702b1f up to, but not including, 191dc1b2ff0fb35e7aff15a53224837637df8bff; 3233b978af23f11b4ad4f7f11a9a64bd05702b1f up to, but not including, 6e359be4975006ff72818e79dad8fe48293f2eb2; 3233b978af23f11b4ad4f7f11a9a64bd05702b1f up to, but not including, 3291486af5636540980ea55bae985f3eaa5b0740; 3233b978af23f11b4ad4f7f11a9a64bd05702b1f up to, but not including, 172811e3a557d8681a5e2d0f871dc04a2d17eb13; 6.0 | 191dc1b2ff0fb35e7aff15a53224837637df8bff, 6e359be4975006ff72818e79dad8fe48293f2eb2, 3291486af5636540980ea55bae985f3eaa5b0740, 172811e3a557d8681a5e2d0f871dc04a2d17eb13 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.0 up to, but not including, 6.1.93; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.33; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.9.4 | 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.9.4 |
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
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- 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
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- 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:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 3.3 | Low | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: hda/cs_dsp_ctl: Use private_free for control cleanup Use the control private_free callback to free the associated data block. This ensures that the memory won't leak, whatever way the control gets destroyed. The original implementation didn't actually remove the ALSA controls in hda_cs_dsp_control_remove(). It only freed the internal tracking structure. This meant it was possible to remove/unload the amp driver while leaving its ALSA controls still present in the soundcard. Obviously attempting to access them could cause segfaults or at least dereferencing stale pointers.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers. When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC). To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Consider using the Boehm-Demers-Weiser garbage collector (bdwgc), which can help avoid leaks.
More Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities (CWE-401)
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
Patches and release notes
Recent Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.