CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-8768NVD status: Deferred

Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI): Reachable Assertion

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-8768 is a high-severity reachable assertion vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) from Red Hat, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.68% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 53% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI)Not specified in the recordNot 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
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA (redhat.com).

Official description

A flaw was found in the vLLM library. A completions API request with an empty prompt will crash the vLLM API server, resulting in a denial of service.

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

The underlying weakness: Reachable Assertion

The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • If the assertion statement is required (e.g., for security or reliability), change the invoking code to avoid the conditions that trigger the assertion.
  • Consider changing the assertion to some other less fatal error. This might not be easy to implement, since other code may be needed to handle the error.
  • Make sensitive open/close operations non-reachable from directly user-controlled data (e.g. open/close resources)

More Reachable Assertion vulnerabilities (CWE-617)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI)

All Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) vulnerabilities

Recent Reachable Assertion vulnerabilities

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