CVE-2024-38384
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's block cgroup subsystem allows list corruption when WRITE operations to ->lqueued are reordered with READ operations during __blkcg_rstat_flush(). This can lead to kernel memory corruption and potential denial of service or privilege escalation. Affects Linux systems using block cgroups.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic, system crash, or potential privilege escalation leading to full system compromise.
Likely Case
System instability, kernel crashes, or denial of service affecting block I/O operations.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if proper kernel hardening and isolation are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Race condition vulnerabilities are difficult to exploit reliably but can be triggered by malicious local users.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits: 714e59b5456e4d6e4295a9968c564abe193f461c, 785298ab6b802afa75089239266b6bbea590809c, d0aac2363549e12cc79b8e285f13d5a9f42fd08e)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/714e59b5456e4d6e4295a9968c564abe193f461c
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable block cgroups
linuxTemporarily disable block cgroup subsystem if not required.
echo 'cgroup_disable=blkio' >> /etc/default/grub
update-grub
reboot
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access and implement strict process isolation
- Monitor system logs for kernel panics or instability related to block I/O
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and compare with patched versions in kernel git repository.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits: 714e59b5456e4d6e4295a9968c564abe193f461c or related patches.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- System crashes
- Block I/O errors in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "BUG") AND ("blk-cgroup" OR "cgroup")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/714e59b5456e4d6e4295a9968c564abe193f461c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/785298ab6b802afa75089239266b6bbea590809c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0aac2363549e12cc79b8e285f13d5a9f42fd08e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/714e59b5456e4d6e4295a9968c564abe193f461c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/785298ab6b802afa75089239266b6bbea590809c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0aac2363549e12cc79b8e285f13d5a9f42fd08e
