CVE-2024-53117
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's virtio virtual socket (vsock) implementation. This vulnerability can lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) caused by memory exhaustion. When an error occurs during zero-copy network transmissions (MSG_ZEROCOPY), the kernel fails to properly release allocated socket memory buffers. A local user can exploit this flaw by repeatedly triggering transmission errors, resulting in a memory leak that can degrade performance or render the system unresponsive.
Mitigation
Prevent the virtio vsock kernel module from loading if virtual socket communication between the host and virtual machine guests is not needed.
To prevent the module from loading, create a configuration file in /etc/modprobe.d/:
# echo "install vmw_vsock_virtio_transport /bin/true" >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-vsock.conf
Alternatively, disable the core vsock module if no VSOCK functionality is required:
# echo "install vsock /bin/true" >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-vsock.conf
Caveat:
Disabling these modules prevents virtual machine guest-host inter-process communication relying on AF_VSOCK.
Warning:
If the module is currently loaded into kernel memory, a system restart is required for the change to take full effect.
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).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.1 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 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 | High | None | None |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | None |
| Availability Impact | Low | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
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:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Instability; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)
Most memory leaks result in general product reliability problems, but if an attacker can intentionally trigger a memory leak, the attacker might be able to launch a denial of service attack (by crashing or hanging the program) or take advantage of other unexpected program behavior resulting from a low memory condition.
Other
Technical Impact: Reduce Performance
Frequently Asked Questions
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