CVE-2024-36904 is a high-severity vulnerability in the Debian Linux kernel, specifically affecting the handling of TIME-WAIT sockets within the TCP protocol stack. This vulnerability allows for a use-after-free condition, which can result in unauthorized access to system resources. The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates a significant risk to organizations, emphasizing the need for prompt remediation.
The vulnerability was reported by Anderson Nascimento and has been addressed in recent kernel updates. The root cause lies in the management of reference counts for TCP sockets, where improper handling could permit an attacker to exploit the vulnerability during socket connections. Organizations utilizing affected Debian Linux distributions must prioritize patching to mitigate potential exploits.
Given the exploitability of this vulnerability, organizations should assess their risk exposure and implement necessary updates. The urgency for defenders is high, as failure to patch could lead to serious consequences, including unauthorized access and data breaches.
Immediate patching is essential to protect against potential attacks leveraging this vulnerability. Organizations are advised to consult their system administrators and deploy the latest updates to ensure their systems are secure.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability has been officially described as follows: In the Linux kernel, a use-after-free vulnerability was identified due to the improper handling of TCP TIME-WAIT sockets in the function tcp_twsk_unique(). This flaw is categorized under CWE-416. The specific commit that introduced this issue is ec94c2696f0b, which relates to the atomic operation for TIME-WAIT sockets.
Affected versions include all versions of the Linux kernel prior to the patch release, with specific vulnerabilities identified in versions ranging from 4.16 through 6.9-rc7. The publication date of this vulnerability is May 30, 2024.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2024-36904 stems from a race condition in the TCP protocol stack where the reference count of a TIME-WAIT socket may be incorrectly managed. When a socket is in TIME-WAIT state, if another thread attempts to reuse that port, it may call sock_hold() on a socket that has a zero reference count, leading to a use-after-free situation.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, requiring an attacker to have access to the system. The complexity of the attack is low, as it can be exploited without any user interaction. The potential impacts include high confidentiality, integrity, and availability risks due to the ability to execute arbitrary code in the kernel context.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Risk to organizations includes significant exposure to unauthorized access and potential system compromise. The blast radius for this vulnerability could affect all processes that rely on the TCP protocol within the kernel, making it a critical issue for any organization using affected Linux distributions.
Organizations should prioritize remediation based on the CVSS score of 7.8 and consider the potential for exploitation. Given the high profile of this vulnerability, immediate action is recommended to apply the necessary patches and updates.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
Affected versions include the Linux kernel from 4.16 up to but not including 4.19.314, from 4.20 up to but not including 5.4.276, from 5.5 up to but not including 5.10.217, from 5.11 up to but not including 5.15.159, from 5.16 up to but not including 6.1.91, from 6.2 up to but not including 6.6.31, and from 6.7 up to but not including 6.8.10. Additionally, Debian Linux version 10.0 is also affected.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should apply the available patches to mitigate this vulnerability. Ensure that your systems are updated to the latest stable version of the Linux kernel to protect against this issue. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider implementing network controls to restrict access to affected systems until patches can be applied.
For further guidance on security practices, organizations may refer to penetration testing and follow security best practices.
Detection Guidance
Monitoring for unusual socket behavior and system logs for warning messages related to reference counting can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Pay close attention to logs showing connection errors and use-after-free warnings from the kernel.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2024-36904 highlights ongoing challenges in kernel security, especially concerning socket management. This vulnerability represents a pattern of race conditions in network protocols that can lead to severe security breaches.
Security teams should take this incident as a lesson to reinforce their testing methodologies for kernel updates and apply rigorous practices to identify and mitigate similar vulnerabilities proactively. For further insights into vulnerability management, refer to the vulnerability management program and penetration testing methodology for best practices.
To stay informed about emerging vulnerabilities, organizations should enhance their threat intelligence capabilities and engage in continuous security assessments.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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