Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: Heap-based Buffer Overflow
CVE-2024-9632 is a high-severity heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 from Red Hat, 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. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.9% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 60% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
Affected products and versions
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 (redhat.com).
Official description
A flaw was found in the X.org server. Due to improperly tracked allocation size in _XkbSetCompatMap, a local attacker may be able to trigger a buffer overflow condition via a specially crafted payload, leading to denial of service or local privilege escalation in distributions where the X.org server is run with root privileges.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Heap-based Buffer Overflow
The product writes past the end of a buffer that was allocated on the heap.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Pre-design: Use a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:10090
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:8798
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9540
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9579
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9601
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9690
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9816
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9818
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9819
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9820
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9901
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:12751
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:7163
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:7165
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:7458
Other vulnerabilities in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.9 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.0 High severity
- 8.4 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.0 Critical severity
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