CVE-2024-38623 – This CVE-2024-38623 is a buffer overflow vulner... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-38623?

CVE-2024-38623 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This CVE-2024-38623 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 filesystem driver. It allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries when setting volume labels, potentially leading to kernel crashes or arbitrary code execution. All Linux systems using the NTFS3 driver are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE-2024-38623 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 filesystem driver. It allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries when setting volume labels, potentially leading to kernel crashes or arbitrary code execution. All Linux systems using the NTFS3 driver are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux Kernel

Versions: Linux kernel versions with NTFS3 driver support (typically 5.15+ through affected versions)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only vulnerable when NTFS3 filesystem driver is loaded and NTFS volumes are mounted. Systems not using NTFS are not affected.

📦 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 →

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, or arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges resulting in complete system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability, kernel crashes, or denial of service affecting system availability.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if systems don't mount NTFS volumes or have proper access controls preventing unauthorized users from setting volume labels.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or ability to mount NTFS volumes, not typically exposed directly to internet.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal attackers with user access could exploit this to escalate privileges or cause denial of service.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires ability to set volume labels on mounted NTFS volumes. Local access needed for exploitation.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions with commit 1997cdc3e727526aa5d84b32f7cbb3f56459b7ef or later

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1997cdc3e727526aa5d84b32f7cbb3f56459b7ef

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable NTFS3 module

linux

Prevent loading of vulnerable NTFS3 driver

echo 'blacklist ntfs3' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-ntfs3.conf
rmmod ntfs3

Mount NTFS with different driver

linux

Use ntfs-3g userspace driver instead of kernel NTFS3

mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/device /mount/point

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict access to mount NTFS volumes to trusted users only
Implement strict access controls on systems with NTFS volumes mounted

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if NTFS3 module is loaded: lsmod | grep ntfs3. If loaded and kernel version is unpatched, system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check kernel version is patched: uname -r. Verify commit 1997cdc3e727526aa5d84b32f7cbb3f56459b7ef is included in kernel source.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages
System crash/panic logs
Unexpected volume label modification attempts

Network Indicators:

Not applicable - local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

Not applicable for network detection

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-38623

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

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

CWE: CWE-129

Published: June 21, 2024

Last Updated: March 24, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2024-38623, you might also want to check these: