high CVSS 7.8

CVE-2024-40902·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: jfs: xattr: fix buffer overflow for invalid xattr When an xattr size is not what is expected, it is printed out to the kernel log in hex format as a form of debugging. But when that xattr size is bigger than the expected size, printing it out can cause an access off the end of the buffer. Fix this all up by properly restricting the size of the debug hex dump in the kernel log.

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
6.9.6
Published
2024-07-12

Affected versions

From: 6.7

Until: 6.9.6

Fixed in: 6.9.6

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 6.9.6 or later to address a buffer overflow vulnerability in the JFS extended attribute (xattr) handling code. This vulnerability allows local attackers with low privileges to read or corrupt kernel memory through malformed xattr values. Prioritize this update for systems running kernel versions 6.7 through 6.9.5.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-headers

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check current kernel version with: uname -r
  2. Step 2: Verify JFS filesystem usage by running: mount | grep jfs or df -t jfs
  3. Step 3: Search kernel logs for xattr-related errors: sudo grep -i 'xattr\|jfs' /var/log/kern.log | tail -50
  4. Step 4: After patching, confirm update with: uname -r (should show 6.9.6 or later) and reboot if necessary

FAQ

What is CVE-2024-40902?

This is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Linux kernel's JFS filesystem xattr subsystem. When processing unexpectedly large extended attribute values, the kernel's debug logging function can read beyond buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive kernel memory to local attackers.

Is CVE-2024-40902 being actively exploited?

No, this vulnerability is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and no public exploits are currently available. However, the local privilege requirement and high impact severity warrant timely patching.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2024-40902?

Linux kernel versions 6.7 through 6.9.5 are vulnerable. Kernel 6.9.6 and later versions contain the fix.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-40902?

Run uname -r to display your kernel version. If it shows a version between 6.7 and 6.9.5, you are vulnerable. Additionally, verify JFS usage with: mount | grep jfs — if no JFS filesystems are mounted, the practical risk is reduced but the kernel-level flaw remains.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-40902?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2024-40902 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2024-42256CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cifs: Fix server re-repick on subrequest retry When a subrequest is marked for needing retry, netfs will call cifs_prepare_write() which will make cifs repick the server for the op before renegotiating credits; it then calls cifs_issue_write() which invokes smb2_async_writev() - which re-repicks the server. If a different server is then selected, this causes the increment of server->in_flight to happen against one record and the decrement to happen against another, leading to misaccounting. Fix this by just removing the repick code in smb2_async_writev(). As this is only called from netfslib-driven code, cifs_prepare_write() should always have been called first, and so server should never be NULL and the preparatory step is repeated in the event that we do a retry. The problem manifests as a warning looking something like: WARNING: CPU: 4 PID: 72896 at fs/smb/client/smb2ops.c:97 smb2_add_credits+0x3f0/0x9e0 [cifs] ... RIP: 0010:smb2_add_credits+0x3f0/0x9e0 [cifs] ... smb2_writev_callback+0x334/0x560 [cifs] cifs_demultiplex_thread+0x77a/0x11b0 [cifs] kthread+0x187/0x1d0 ret_from_fork+0x34/0x60 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Which may be triggered by a number of different xfstests running against an Azure server in multichannel mode. generic/249 seems the most repeatable, but generic/215, generic/249 and generic/308 may also show it.
CVE-2024-36031CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: keys: Fix overwrite of key expiration on instantiation The expiry time of a key is unconditionally overwritten during instantiation, defaulting to turn it permanent. This causes a problem for DNS resolution as the expiration set by user-space is overwritten to TIME64_MAX, disabling further DNS updates. Fix this by restoring the condition that key_set_expiry is only called when the pre-parser sets a specific expiry.
CVE-2024-38623CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/ntfs3: Use variable length array instead of fixed size Should fix smatch warning: ntfs_set_label() error: __builtin_memcpy() 'uni->name' too small (20 vs 256)
CVE-2024-38612CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: sr: fix invalid unregister error path The error path of seg6_init() is wrong in case CONFIG_IPV6_SEG6_LWTUNNEL is not defined. In that case if seg6_hmac_init() fails, the genl_unregister_family() isn't called. This issue exist since commit 46738b1317e1 ("ipv6: sr: add option to control lwtunnel support"), and commit 5559cea2d5aa ("ipv6: sr: fix possible use-after-free and null-ptr-deref") replaced unregister_pernet_subsys() with genl_unregister_family() in this error path.
CVE-2021-47548CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ethernet: hisilicon: hns: hns_dsaf_misc: fix a possible array overflow in hns_dsaf_ge_srst_by_port() The if statement: if (port >= DSAF_GE_NUM) return; limits the value of port less than DSAF_GE_NUM (i.e., 8). However, if the value of port is 6 or 7, an array overflow could occur: port_rst_off = dsaf_dev->mac_cb[port]->port_rst_off; because the length of dsaf_dev->mac_cb is DSAF_MAX_PORT_NUM (i.e., 6). To fix this possible array overflow, we first check port and if it is greater than or equal to DSAF_MAX_PORT_NUM, the function returns.

References

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