CVE-2024-7254 is classified as a high-severity vulnerability with a CVSS score of 8.7. This vulnerability allows any project that parses untrusted Protocol Buffers data containing an arbitrary number of nested groups or series of SGROUP tags to become corrupted by exceeding the stack limit, leading to a StackOverflow error. The risk to organizations includes potential service disruptions due to unbounded recursion during the parsing process. Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to mitigate this risk.
The vulnerability affects several Google and NetApp products, including Protobuf, Protobuf-Java, and Active IQ Unified Manager. The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, meaning that attackers may leverage it remotely without the need for physical access. The lack of known exploits at this time provides a window of opportunity for organizations to address the issue proactively.
Given the high severity of this vulnerability, organizations using the affected products should take immediate action to assess their exposure and apply any available patches or updates. Failure to do so could result in significant availability impacts.
The vulnerability was published on September 19, 2024, and has been analyzed for potential impacts. Security teams should remain vigilant and monitor for any updates related to this CVE.
In summary, CVE-2024-7254 represents a serious risk, and organizations must act quickly to protect their systems from potential exploitation.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of CVE-2024-7254 states that parsing nested groups as unknown fields with DiscardUnknownFieldsParser or using the Java Protobuf Lite parser can create unbounded recursions. This behavior leads to stack overflow vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit. The potential CWE classifications include CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption), CWE-674 (Uncontrolled Recursion), and CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write).
The CVSS score of 8.7 indicates a high level of severity, primarily due to the potential for significant availability impact. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of several products, including Protobuf and its variants, as well as components from NetApp such as Active IQ Unified Manager.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of the CVE-2024-7254 vulnerability lies in the handling of nested groups in Protocol Buffers. When data is processed without sufficient validation, it can lead to excessive resource consumption and the risk of stack overflow. The attack vector is network-based, allowing attackers to exploit the vulnerability remotely. The complexity of the attack is considered low, which may encourage exploitation by less sophisticated adversaries.
No user interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability, and no privileges are necessary. The impact on confidentiality is negligible, but the availability impact is high, as successful exploitation can cause the application to crash.
Given the nature of the vulnerability, organizations using affected software should implement measures to limit the processing of untrusted Protocol Buffers data and monitor for abnormal behavior indicative of exploitation attempts.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The risk posed by CVE-2024-7254 is significant due to the potential for service disruption when parsing untrusted data. Organizations must be vigilant, as the availability impact could lead to denial-of-service conditions if exploited. The blast radius is considerable, affecting any systems relying on the vulnerable Protobuf implementations across various platforms and environments.
Given the high CVSS score of 8.7, organizations should prioritize remediation efforts in their patch cycle. The absence of known exploits at this time should not lead to complacency; proactive measures are essential to mitigate risks.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected products include multiple versions of Protobuf, Protobuf-Java, Protobuf-Javalite, Protobuf-Kotlin, and Protobuf-Kotlin-Lite, as well as NetApp's Active IQ Unified Manager and BlueXP. Specifically, any version prior to the vendor patch is considered vulnerable.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize patching to the latest versions of the affected products immediately. Specific patches from Google should be applied to the Protobuf libraries, while NetApp users should consult their advisories for updates on Active IQ Unified Manager and BlueXP. If updates are not available, organizations should implement strict input validation for Protocol Buffers data to mitigate the risk of exploitation. Additionally, enhancing monitoring for abnormal behavior in systems processing untrusted data is advisable.
Continuous security testing can also help identify potential weaknesses resulting from this vulnerability.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor logs for indicators of unusual stack usage or errors related to Protocol Buffers parsing. Behavioral anomalies in applications processing untrusted data can serve as early warning signs of an attempted exploit. Implementing network signatures to detect malicious payloads targeting this vulnerability will also strengthen defenses.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2024-7254 lies in its potential impact across multiple industries that rely on Google and NetApp technologies. Security teams should note the trend of increasing complexity in data processing vulnerabilities, especially concerning untrusted input handling.
Organizations must remain vigilant against similar vulnerabilities that can arise as technology evolves. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of robust input validation and monitoring practices.
Developing a comprehensive vulnerability management program will help organizations navigate risks and ensure swift responses to emerging threats.
Penetration testing methodologies can also provide insights into mitigating risks associated with vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-7254.
Cloud security assessments should also consider such vulnerabilities as part of their evaluation criteria.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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