CVE-2024-38619 – This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's usb-st... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-38619?

CVE-2024-38619 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's usb-storage alauda driver could cause a divide-by-zero error when accessing uninitialized USB storage media. This could lead to kernel crashes or denial of service. Systems using affected Linux kernel versions with the alauda USB storage driver are potentially affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's usb-storage alauda driver could cause a divide-by-zero error when accessing uninitialized USB storage media. This could lead to kernel crashes or denial of service. Systems using affected Linux kernel versions with the alauda USB storage driver are potentially affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not explicitly stated in CVE, but patches are available in stable kernel trees

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using the alauda USB storage driver module (typically loaded when specific USB storage devices are connected)

📦 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...

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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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially requiring physical reboot.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability or crash when accessing specific USB storage devices with uninitialized media.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor system disruption with automatic recovery if kernel panic handling is properly configured.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires physical USB device access or USB-over-IP with specific conditions.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users with USB access could potentially trigger the vulnerability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires physical USB device access or USB-over-IP access with ability to present malformed storage media

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits: 16637fea001ab3c8df528a8995b3211906165a30, 24bff7f714bdff97c2a75a0ff6a368cdf8ad5af4, 2cc32639ec347e3365075b130f9953ef16cb13f1, 3eee13ab67f65606faa66e0c3c729e4f514838fd, 51fe16c058acb22f847e69bc598066ed0bcd5c15)

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to patched kernel version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Rebuild kernel if using custom kernel with patches. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable alauda driver module

linux

Prevent loading of the vulnerable alauda USB storage driver

echo 'blacklist alauda' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-alauda.conf
rmmod alauda

Restrict USB device access

all

Limit USB storage device connections to trusted sources only

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict USB device policies to prevent untrusted USB storage connections
Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to USB storage access

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if alauda module is loaded: lsmod | grep alauda. Check kernel version against patched versions.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated and alauda module version matches patched code. Check dmesg for successful USB storage operations.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
Divide error or arithmetic exception in kernel logs
USB storage access failures in system logs

Network Indicators:

USB-over-IP connection attempts to storage devices

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("divide error" OR "arithmetic exception" OR "panic" OR "Oops") AND "alauda"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-38619

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-908

Published: June 20, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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