CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-42132NVD status: Modified

Linux: Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-42132 is a high-severity release of invalid pointer or reference vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 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 2ae8d7742a09c275872e670c53337b3dcedaa11c, 4970e48f83dbd21d2a6a7cdaaafc2a71f7f45dc4, d311036696fed778301d08a71a4bef737b86d8c5 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 0.29% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux to 2ae8d7742a09c275872e670c53337b3dcedaa11c or 4970e48f83dbd21d2a6a7cdaaafc2a71f7f45dc4 or d311036696fed778301d08a71a4bef737b86d8c5 or 1cc18c2ab2e8c54c355ea7c0423a636e415a0c23, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 6.6 or 6.6.39 or 6.9.9, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxf7e83f2278f06b577e3c92ea2f4e8e8c6fc72a8f up to, but not including, 2ae8d7742a09c275872e670c53337b3dcedaa11c; 84cb0143fb8a03bf941c7aaedd56c938c99dafad up to, but not including, 4970e48f83dbd21d2a6a7cdaaafc2a71f7f45dc4; 181a42edddf51d5d9697ecdf365d72ebeab5afb0 up to, but not including, d311036696fed778301d08a71a4bef737b86d8c5; 181a42edddf51d5d9697ecdf365d72ebeab5afb0 up to, but not including, 1cc18c2ab2e8c54c355ea7c0423a636e415a0c23; e9f708beada55426c8d678e2f46af659eb5bf4f0; 6.6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.39; 6.5.12 up to, but not including, 6.6; 6.72ae8d7742a09c275872e670c53337b3dcedaa11c, 4970e48f83dbd21d2a6a7cdaaafc2a71f7f45dc4, d311036696fed778301d08a71a4bef737b86d8c5, 1cc18c2ab2e8c54c355ea7c0423a636e415a0c23, 6.6.39, 6.6
LinuxLinux Kernel6.5.12 up to, but not including, 6.6; 6.6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.39; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.9.9; 6.106.6, 6.6.39, 6.9.9

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
NoneNo data is disclosed.
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:N/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.6HighCNA
CVSS 3.17.1HighNVD

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bluetooth/hci: disallow setting handle bigger than HCI_CONN_HANDLE_MAX Syzbot hit warning in hci_conn_del() caused by freeing handle that was not allocated using ida allocator. This is caused by handle bigger than HCI_CONN_HANDLE_MAX passed by hci_le_big_sync_established_evt(), which makes code think it's unset connection. Add same check for handle upper bound as in hci_conn_set_handle() to prevent warning.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference

The product attempts to return a memory resource to the system, but it calls the wrong release function or calls the appropriate release function incorrectly.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Only call matching memory management functions. Do not mix and match routines. For example, when you allocate a buffer with malloc(), dispose of the original pointer with free().
  • When programming in C++, consider using smart pointers provided by the boost library to help correctly and consistently manage memory.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers.

More Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference vulnerabilities (CWE-763)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference vulnerabilities

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