CVE-2024-22653
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in Yasm, an assembler used for compiling code. When exploited, it can cause the yasm process to crash, potentially leading to denial of service. This affects systems running vulnerable versions of Yasm when processing malicious assembly files.
💻 Affected Systems
- Yasm
📦 What is this software?
Yasm by Yasm Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete denial of service for applications relying on yasm, potentially disrupting build pipelines or automated assembly processes.
Likely Case
Application crash when processing specially crafted assembly files, requiring manual restart of affected processes.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper input validation and sandboxing of yasm execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Proof of concept available in GitHub issue. Exploitation requires ability to feed malicious assembly files to yasm.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Versions after commit 9defefae (the fix is in later commits)
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/yasm/yasm/issues/247
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update yasm to latest version from official repository. 2. For source installations: git clone https://github.com/yasm/yasm.git, build and install. 3. For package managers: Use system package manager to update yasm package.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation and sanitization
allValidate and sanitize assembly files before processing with yasm
Sandbox yasm execution
linuxRun yasm in isolated containers or sandboxes to limit impact of crashes
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/src yasm yasm [options]
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls on who can submit assembly files for processing
- Monitor yasm processes for crashes and implement automatic restart mechanisms
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check yasm version: yasm --version. If version predates commit 9defefae (Oct 2023), it's likely vulnerable.Check Version:
yasm --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Test with proof-of-concept assembly file from GitHub issue. If yasm doesn't crash, fix is applied.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Segmentation fault or crash logs from yasm process
- Unexpected termination of build processes using yasm
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local code execution vulnerability
SIEM Query:
process_name:yasm AND (event_type:crash OR exit_code:139 OR exit_code:11)