CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-42160NVD status: Analyzed

Linux: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-42160 is a high-severity improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions 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 6e5b601706ce05d94338cad598736d96bb8096c8, bc84dd2c33e0c10fd90d60f0cfc0bfb504d4692d, 44958ca9e400f57bd0478115519ffc350fcee61e 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 0.24% 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 6e5b601706ce05d94338cad598736d96bb8096c8 or bc84dd2c33e0c10fd90d60f0cfc0bfb504d4692d or 44958ca9e400f57bd0478115519ffc350fcee61e or ecb641f424d6d1f055d149a15b892edcc92c504b, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.15.181 or 6.1.98 or 6.6.39 or 6.9.9, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinux98e4da8ca301e062d79ae168c67e56f3c3de3ce4 up to, but not including, 6e5b601706ce05d94338cad598736d96bb8096c8; 98e4da8ca301e062d79ae168c67e56f3c3de3ce4 up to, but not including, bc84dd2c33e0c10fd90d60f0cfc0bfb504d4692d; 98e4da8ca301e062d79ae168c67e56f3c3de3ce4 up to, but not including, 44958ca9e400f57bd0478115519ffc350fcee61e; 98e4da8ca301e062d79ae168c67e56f3c3de3ce4 up to, but not including, ecb641f424d6d1f055d149a15b892edcc92c504b; 98e4da8ca301e062d79ae168c67e56f3c3de3ce4 up to, but not including, 4ed886b187f47447ad559619c48c086f432d2b77; 3.86e5b601706ce05d94338cad598736d96bb8096c8, bc84dd2c33e0c10fd90d60f0cfc0bfb504d4692d, 44958ca9e400f57bd0478115519ffc350fcee61e, ecb641f424d6d1f055d149a15b892edcc92c504b, 4ed886b187f47447ad559619c48c086f432d2b77
DebianDebian Linux11.0Not stated
LinuxLinux Kernel4.7 up to, but not including, 5.15.181; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.98; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.39; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.9.95.15.181, 6.1.98, 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
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 NVD.

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: f2fs: check validation of fault attrs in f2fs_build_fault_attr() - It missed to check validation of fault attrs in parse_options(), let's fix to add check condition in f2fs_build_fault_attr(). - Use f2fs_build_fault_attr() in __sbi_store() to clean up code.

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

The underlying weakness: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions

The product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Choose languages with features such as exception handling that force the programmer to anticipate unusual conditions that may generate exceptions. Custom exceptions may need to be developed to handle unusual business-logic conditions. Be careful not to pass sensitive exceptions back to the user (CWE-209, CWE-248).
  • Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is expected.
  • If using exception handling, catch and throw specific exceptions instead of overly-general exceptions (CWE-396, CWE-397). Catch and handle exceptions as locally as possible so that exceptions do not propagate too far up the call stack (CWE-705). Avoid unchecked or uncaught exceptions where feasible (CWE-248).

More Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities (CWE-754)

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

Third-party and government advisories

Recent Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities

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