CVE-2024-44983·Kernel vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: flowtable: validate vlan header Ensure there is sufficient room to access the protocol field of the VLAN header, validate it once before the flowtable lookup. ===================================================== BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in nf_flow_offload_inet_hook+0x45a/0x5f0 net/netfilter/nf_flow_table_inet.c:32 nf_flow_offload_inet_hook+0x45a/0x5f0 net/netfilter/nf_flow_table_inet.c:32 nf_hook_entry_hookfn include/linux/netfilter.h:154 [inline] nf_hook_slow+0xf4/0x400 net/netfilter/core.c:626 nf_hook_ingress include/linux/netfilter_netdev.h:34 [inline] nf_ingress net/core/dev.c:5440 [inline]
- Severity
- high
- Software
- Kernel
- Fixed in
- 6.10.7
- Published
How likely is exploitation
FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at <0.1% — in the bottom 1% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.
Read the two together. CVE-2024-44983 scores 7.1 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at <0.1%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.
Affected versions
From: 6.7
Until: 6.10.7
Fixed in: 6.10.7
How to fix this CVE
Update your Linux kernel to version 6.10.7 or later to patch the netfilter flowtable VLAN header validation vulnerability. This fix prevents kernel memory access violations that could cause system crashes or information disclosure. Apply security updates immediately across all affected systems running kernel versions 6.7 through 6.10.6.
sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel && sudo rebootDefensia detects this vulnerability
How to check if you are affected
- Run 'uname -r' to check your current kernel version and verify if it falls within the vulnerable range (6.7 to 6.10.6)
- Examine netfilter configuration with 'cat /proc/net/nf_conntrack' and verify if flowtable offloading is enabled via 'sysctl net.netfilter.nf_flowtable_ipv4' and 'sysctl net.netfilter.nf_flowtable_ipv6'
- Search kernel logs for crash patterns related to nf_flow_offload_inet_hook using 'journalctl -u kernel -n 1000 | grep -i "nf_flow\|KMSAN\|uninit-value"'
- Verify patch installation by running 'uname -r' and confirming the kernel version is 6.10.7 or later, then check dmesg for absence of related memory access errors
FAQ
What is CVE-2024-44983?
This vulnerability is a kernel memory safety issue in the netfilter flowtable module where insufficient validation of VLAN headers can lead to uninitialized memory access, potentially causing kernel crashes or information leakage during network packet processing.
Is CVE-2024-44983 being actively exploited?
No, there is no evidence of active exploitation in the wild, and no public exploits are currently available. However, the vulnerability can be triggered locally on systems with netfilter flowtable offloading enabled.
What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2024-44983?
Linux kernel versions 6.7 through 6.10.6 are vulnerable. The fix is included in kernel 6.10.7 and later stable releases.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-44983?
Run 'uname -r' to get your kernel version. If it reports a version between 6.7 and 6.10.6, your system is vulnerable. Cross-reference with 'cat /proc/version' for confirmation.
Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-44983?
Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2024-44983 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related Kernel CVEs
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0279c35d242d037abeb73d60d06a6d1bb7f672d9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/043a18bb6cf16adaa2f8642acfde6e8956a9caaa
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ea14ccb60c8ab829349979b22b58a941ec4a3ee
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c05155cc455785916164aa5e1b4605a2ae946537
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9384ae7aec46036d248d1c2c2757e471ab486c3
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