CVE-2024-53142 – A buffer overrun vulnerability in the Linux ker... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-53142?

CVE-2024-53142 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). A buffer overrun vulnerability in the Linux kernel's initramfs cpio archive filename handling allows specially crafted archives to create files with trailing uninitialized memory characters. This affects Linux systems using initramfs, though exploitation requires control over the initramfs creation process. The vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that creating malicious initramfs entries already requires significant system access.

📋 TL;DR

A buffer overrun vulnerability in the Linux kernel's initramfs cpio archive filename handling allows specially crafted archives to create files with trailing uninitialized memory characters. This affects Linux systems using initramfs, though exploitation requires control over the initramfs creation process. The vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that creating malicious initramfs entries already requires significant system access.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux Kernel

Versions: Multiple stable versions before fixes in commits 1a423bbbeaf9e3e20c4686501efd9b661fe834db and others

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using initramfs; embedded systems or those with custom init may not be vulnerable.

📦 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

An attacker with ability to modify initramfs could create files with unpredictable names containing memory artifacts, potentially leading to privilege escalation or system instability.

🟠

Likely Case

Limited impact since creating malicious initramfs requires root or equivalent access, making this primarily a local integrity issue.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper access controls preventing unauthorized initramfs modification.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or ability to modify initramfs, not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be leveraged by attackers with existing local access to create unpredictable file artifacts.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Proof-of-concept script provided in CVE description; exploitation requires ability to modify initramfs which typically requires elevated privileges.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 1a423bbbeaf9e3e20c4686501efd9b661fe834db, 49d01e736c3045319e030d1e75fb983011abaca7, 6983b8ac787b3add5571cda563574932a59a99bb, bb7ac96670ab1d8d681015f9d66e45dad579af4d, c509b1acbd867d9e09580fe059a924cb5825afb1

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1a423bbbeaf9e3e20c4686501efd9b661fe834db

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Rebuild initramfs if needed. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict initramfs modification

linux

Prevent unauthorized users from modifying initramfs files

chmod 600 /boot/initramfs-*
chown root:root /boot/initramfs-*

Use signed initramfs

linux

Implement secure boot with signed initramfs verification

Configure UEFI Secure Boot with kernel and initramfs signing

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict access controls on /boot directory and initramfs files
Monitor for unauthorized initramfs modifications using file integrity monitoring

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and compare with patched versions; examine if initramfs contains test files from PoC

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits; test with reproducer script to ensure no file creation

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected file creations in root filesystem during boot
Kernel panic or errors during initramfs extraction

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

File creation events for patterns matching 'initramfs_test_fname_overrun*' or unexpected files during system boot

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-53142

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-787

Published: December 6, 2024

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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