CVE-2024-35879
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Open Firmware (OF) dynamic changeset subsystem. A race condition occurs during device tree overlay removal because background cleanup tasks are not synchronized before changeset destruction. A local user could trigger this flaw to cause reference count discrepancies, leading to memory leaks and a potential Denial of Service (DoS) through system instability.
Statement
This vulnerability is evaluated as having a Low impact because dynamic Open Firmware device tree manipulation requires administrative privileges and is not utilized in standard enterprise server installations. The synchronization failure happens during the asynchronous removal of device link structures when unloading dynamic device tree fragments, leading to internal reference count warnings rather than direct remote compromise or unprivileged privilege escalation. As typical enterprise systems do not dynamically alter device tree nodes, standard production environments are not exposed under default configurations.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | 5.5 | 7.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | Low |
| User Interaction | None | None | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | None | High |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | High |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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