CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-43873NVD status: Modified

Linux: Missing Initialization of Resource

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-43873 is a high-severity missing initialization of resource 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 ea558f10fb05a6503c6e655a1b7d81fdf8e5924c, 3062cb100787a9ddf45de30004b962035cd497fb, 30bd4593669443ac58515e23557dc8cef70d8582 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 0.22% 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 ea558f10fb05a6503c6e655a1b7d81fdf8e5924c or 3062cb100787a9ddf45de30004b962035cd497fb or 30bd4593669443ac58515e23557dc8cef70d8582 or eab96e8716cbfc2834b54f71cc9501ad4eec963b, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.15.165 or 6.1.103 or 6.6.44 or 6.10.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxced7b713711fdd8f99d8d04dc53451441d194c60 up to, but not including, ea558f10fb05a6503c6e655a1b7d81fdf8e5924c; ced7b713711fdd8f99d8d04dc53451441d194c60 up to, but not including, 3062cb100787a9ddf45de30004b962035cd497fb; ced7b713711fdd8f99d8d04dc53451441d194c60 up to, but not including, 30bd4593669443ac58515e23557dc8cef70d8582; ced7b713711fdd8f99d8d04dc53451441d194c60 up to, but not including, eab96e8716cbfc2834b54f71cc9501ad4eec963b; ced7b713711fdd8f99d8d04dc53451441d194c60 up to, but not including, 1e1fdcbdde3b7663e5d8faeb2245b9b151417d22; 5.14ea558f10fb05a6503c6e655a1b7d81fdf8e5924c, 3062cb100787a9ddf45de30004b962035cd497fb, 30bd4593669443ac58515e23557dc8cef70d8582, eab96e8716cbfc2834b54f71cc9501ad4eec963b, 1e1fdcbdde3b7663e5d8faeb2245b9b151417d22
LinuxLinux Kernel5.14 up to, but not including, 5.15.165; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.103; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.44; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.10.35.15.165, 6.1.103, 6.6.44, 6.10.3

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: vhost/vsock: always initialize seqpacket_allow There are two issues around seqpacket_allow: 1. seqpacket_allow is not initialized when socket is created. Thus if features are never set, it will be read uninitialized. 2. if VIRTIO_VSOCK_F_SEQPACKET is set and then cleared, then seqpacket_allow will not be cleared appropriately (existing apps I know about don't usually do this but it's legal and there's no way to be sure no one relies on this). To fix: - initialize seqpacket_allow after allocation - set it unconditionally in set_features

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

The underlying weakness: Missing Initialization of Resource

The product does not initialize a critical resource.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Explicitly initialize the resource before use. If this is performed through an API function or standard procedure, follow all specified steps.
  • Pay close attention to complex conditionals that affect initialization, since some branches might not perform the initialization.
  • Avoid race conditions (CWE-362) during initialization routines.

More Missing Initialization of Resource vulnerabilities (CWE-909)

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 Missing Initialization of Resource vulnerabilities

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