In the Linux kernel, a critical vulnerability has been identified, specifically in the wifi: mac80211 subsystem. This vulnerability allows for a condition where an unset power level is returned by the function ieee80211_get_tx_power(). The issue arises when this function returns the INT_MIN value, which is utilized internally by mac80211 to signify "unset power level." This can lead to a UBSAN warning, indicating a signed integer overflow.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 9.1, categorizing it as critical, indicating that the potential impact on organizations is severe. Risk to organizations includes unauthorized access and service disruption, which can have significant operational implications.
As this vulnerability can be exploited over the network with low complexity and no privileges required, organizations should prioritize patching immediately. Failure to address this flaw could lead to severe consequences, including data breaches and service outages.
The vulnerability was published on May 21, 2024, and has been marked as modified. Continuous monitoring for exploit attempts should be implemented as part of a robust security posture.
Vulnerability Details
This vulnerability allows for a signed integer overflow in the Linux kernel. The specific function affected is ieee80211_get_tx_power(), which should not return an unset power level. Instead, it should return an error when no data is available. The CVSS score of 9.1 indicates a critical severity level, with high confidentiality and availability impact.
The affected product is the linux_kernel across multiple versions. The vulnerability was disclosed on May 21, 2024, and classified under CWE-920.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the incorrect handling of power levels in the mac80211 subsystem. The attack vector is network-based, and the complexity of the attack is low, requiring no special privileges or user interaction. Confidentiality is highly impacted, while integrity is not affected, and availability is also highly impacted.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Real-world deployment risk for this vulnerability is significant due to the ease of exploitation over the network. Organizations must understand that the blast radius of this vulnerability could extend to their entire infrastructure using the affected kernel versions. Based on the CVSS score and the absence of known exploitation, organizations should still treat this as a high priority for immediate remediation.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The following versions of the Linux kernel are affected: All versions prior to vendor patch, specifically those versions not including 4.14.331, those between 4.15 and 4.19.300, from 4.20 to 5.4.262, from 5.5 to 5.10.202, from 5.11 to 5.15.140, from 5.16 to 6.1.64, from 6.2 to 6.5.13, and from 6.6 to 6.6.3.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately. Ensure that you are using the latest version of the Linux kernel to mitigate this vulnerability. For more comprehensive security assessments, organizations may consider application security assessments and continuous monitoring of your systems.
Detection Guidance
Monitoring should include log indicators for any unusual power level settings or UBSAN warnings. Behavioral anomalies in network behavior should also be flagged for review.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of this vulnerability is considerable, as it represents a trend of increasing vulnerabilities within the Linux kernel related to network configurations. Security teams should take this as a lesson to enhance their defensive measures and conduct regular security assessments. For further insights on vulnerability management, consider vulnerability management program design and penetration testing methodology to strengthen your security posture.
For proactive measures, organizations should also explore cloud penetration testing to identify potential vulnerabilities in their cloud infrastructure.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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