This vulnerability allows a memory leak in MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5) version 1.21.2, specifically in the file /krb5/src/lib/gssapi/krb5/k5sealv3.c.
With a CVSS score of 7.5, this vulnerability is classified as high severity, indicating that it poses a significant risk to organizations. The memory leak could potentially be exploited to degrade system performance and reliability.
Risk to organizations includes possible downtime and degradation of service, making this vulnerability a critical concern for affected users.
Currently, there are no known exploits or public proof-of-concept code available for this vulnerability, but organizations should not delay in addressing this issue.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to safeguard their systems.
Vulnerability Details
The official CVE description states that Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) 1.21.2 contains a memory leak vulnerability in /krb5/src/lib/gssapi/krb5/k5sealv3.c. This vulnerability falls under the category of memory leak issues, classified as CWE-770.
The CVSS 3.1 vector for this vulnerability is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, indicating that it is network exploitable with low attack complexity and no privileges or user interaction required. The availability impact is high.
Affected products include Kerberos 5, active IQ Unified Manager, cloud volumes ONTAP mediator, management services for element software and NetApp HCI, ONTAP 9, ONTAP Select Deploy Administration Utility, and various firmware versions (H610C, H610S, H615C).
This vulnerability was published on February 29, 2024, and it is important for organizations to be aware of the implications of this issue.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate memory management within the Kerberos 5 implementation, specifically in the GSSAPI component. The attack vector is network-based, making it accessible from remote locations.
Attack complexity is low, as no special conditions or privileges are required to exploit this vulnerability. Furthermore, user interaction is not needed, which increases the likelihood of successful exploitation.
The impact on availability is significant, as the memory leak could lead to system crashes or degraded performance, potentially affecting service delivery and operational efficiency.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Real-world deployment of vulnerable versions of Kerberos 5 could lead to significant operational risks. Organizations relying on the affected products may face unexpected downtimes or performance issues, jeopardizing business continuity.
The blast radius potential is substantial, as the vulnerability affects a range of NetApp products, including cloud solutions that are critical to various business operations. Immediate action is necessary to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
Given the CVSS score of 7.5 and lack of known exploits, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The following products are affected by this vulnerability: Kerberos 5 (version 1.21.2), Active IQ Unified Manager, Cloud Volumes ONTAP Mediator, Management Services for Element Software and NetApp HCI, ONTAP 9, ONTAP Select Deploy Administration Utility, H610C Firmware, H610S Firmware, and H615C Firmware. If version information is missing, organizations should consider all versions prior to vendor patches.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize patching for this vulnerability. Ensure that all systems running affected products are updated to the latest versions available. If patches are not yet available, consider applying configuration hardening and implementing network controls to mitigate exposure.
For additional assistance, organizations can refer to the application security assessment services offered by AppSecure.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability, organizations should monitor logs for unusual memory usage patterns and system performance anomalies. Behavioral anomalies may indicate attempts to exploit this issue.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
This vulnerability represents a significant risk, particularly for organizations using Kerberos for authentication and security services. It highlights the importance of regular updates and vulnerability management practices.
Security teams should be aware of the potential for similar vulnerabilities in future releases and consider implementing robust monitoring strategies to detect and respond to exploitation attempts promptly.
For further reading on vulnerability management best practices, organizations can explore the vulnerability management program design and implementation strategies.
In addition, leveraging continuous security testing can enhance your organization's resilience against vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-26461.
Known Exploitation Timeline
This section is omitted as no KEV data exists.
EPSS Risk Context
This section is omitted as no EPSS score exists.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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