Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2024-42311

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-17

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.19.320 / 5.4.282 or later.

See remediation →

57/100

Remediation priority · Elevated

Zero-click Patch available

Official description

NVD · unedited

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hfs: fix to initialize fields of hfs_inode_info after hfs_alloc_inode() Syzbot reports uninitialized value access issue as below: loop0: detected capacity change from 0 to 64 ===================================================== BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in hfs_revalidate_dentry+0x307/0x3f0 fs/hfs/sysdep.c:30 hfs_revalidate_dentry+0x307/0x3f0 fs/hfs/sysdep.c:30 d_revalidate fs/namei.c:862 [inline] lookup_fast+0x89e/0x8e0 fs/namei.c:1649 walk_component fs/namei.c:2001 [inline] link_path_walk+0x817/0x1480 fs/namei.c:2332 path_lookupat+0xd9/0x6f0 fs/namei.c:2485 filename_lookup+0x22e/0x740 fs/namei.c:2515 user_path_at_empty+0x8b/0x390 fs/namei.c:2924 user_path_at include/linux/namei.h:57 [inline] do_mount fs/namespace.c:3689 [inline] __do_sys_mount fs/namespace.c:3898 [inline] __se_sys_mount+0x66b/0x810 fs/namespace.c:3875 __x64_sys_mount+0xe4/0x140 fs/namespace.c:3875 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xcf/0x1e0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0x6b BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in hfs_ext_read_extent fs/hfs/extent.c:196 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in hfs_get_block+0x92d/0x1620 fs/hfs/extent.c:366 hfs_ext_read_extent fs/hfs/extent.c:196 [inline] hfs_get_block+0x92d/0x1620 fs/hfs/extent.c:366 block_read_full_folio+0x4ff/0x11b0 fs/buffer.c:2271 hfs_read_folio+0x55/0x60 fs/hfs/inode.c:39 filemap_read_folio+0x148/0x4f0 mm/filemap.c:2426 do_read_cache_folio+0x7c8/0xd90 mm/filemap.c:3553 do_read_cache_page mm/filemap.c:3595 [inline] read_cache_page+0xfb/0x2f0 mm/filemap.c:3604 read_mapping_page include/linux/pagemap.h:755 [inline] hfs_btree_open+0x928/0x1ae0 fs/hfs/btree.c:78 hfs_mdb_get+0x260c/0x3000 fs/hfs/mdb.c:204 hfs_fill_super+0x1fb1/0x2790 fs/hfs/super.c:406 mount_bdev+0x628/0x920 fs/super.c:1359 hfs_mount+0xcd/0xe0 fs/hfs/super.c:456 legacy_get_tree+0x167/0x2e0 fs/fs_context.c:610 vfs_get_tree+0xdc/0x5d0 fs/super.c:1489 do_new_mount+0x7a9/0x16f0 fs/namespace.c:3145 path_mount+0xf98/0x26a0 fs/namespace.c:3475 do_mount fs/namespace.c:3488 [inline] __do_sys_mount fs/namespace.c:3697 [inline] __se_sys_mount+0x919/0x9e0 fs/namespace.c:3674 __ia32_sys_mount+0x15b/0x1b0 fs/namespace.c:3674 do_syscall_32_irqs_on arch/x86/entry/common.c:112 [inline] __do_fast_syscall_32+0xa2/0x100 arch/x86/entry/common.c:178 do_fast_syscall_32+0x37/0x80 arch/x86/entry/common.c:203 do_SYSENTER_32+0x1f/0x30 arch/x86/entry/common.c:246 entry_SYSENTER_compat_after_hwframe+0x70/0x82 Uninit was created at: __alloc_pages+0x9a6/0xe00 mm/page_alloc.c:4590 __alloc_pages_node include/linux/gfp.h:238 [inline] alloc_pages_node include/linux/gfp.h:261 [inline] alloc_slab_page mm/slub.c:2190 [inline] allocate_slab mm/slub.c:2354 [inline] new_slab+0x2d7/0x1400 mm/slub.c:2407 ___slab_alloc+0x16b5/0x3970 mm/slub.c:3540 __slab_alloc mm/slub.c:3625 [inline] __slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3678 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3850 [inline] kmem_cache_alloc_lru+0x64d/0xb30 mm/slub.c:3879 alloc_inode_sb include/linux/fs.h:3018 [inline] hfs_alloc_inode+0x5a/0xc0 fs/hfs/super.c:165 alloc_inode+0x83/0x440 fs/inode.c:260 new_inode_pseudo fs/inode.c:1005 [inline] new_inode+0x38/0x4f0 fs/inode.c:1031 hfs_new_inode+0x61/0x1010 fs/hfs/inode.c:186 hfs_mkdir+0x54/0x250 fs/hfs/dir.c:228 vfs_mkdir+0x49a/0x700 fs/namei.c:4126 do_mkdirat+0x529/0x810 fs/namei.c:4149 __do_sys_mkdirat fs/namei.c:4164 [inline] __se_sys_mkdirat fs/namei.c:4162 [inline] __x64_sys_mkdirat+0xc8/0x120 fs/namei.c:4162 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xcf/0x1e0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0x6b It missed to initialize .tz_secondswest, .cached_start and .cached_blocks fields in struct hfs_inode_info after hfs_alloc_inode(), fix it.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis

How this class of weakness works · CWE-908

Memory or a resource is used before it has been initialised, so its contents are whatever happened to be there — sometimes leaking earlier data, sometimes values an attacker can influence. Behaviour becomes unpredictable and occasionally exploitable. Remediation is initialising every resource before use and ensuring initialisation happens on all code paths.

General guidance for the use of uninitialized resource class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Linux KernelOperating system

Affected:< 4.19.320>= 4.20, < 5.4.282>= 5.5, < 5.10.224>= 5.11, < 5.15.165>= 5.16, < 6.1.103>= 6.2, < 6.6.44>= 6.7, < 6.10.3

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.19.320 / 5.4.282 / 5.10.224 or later

Fixed in 4.19.3205.4.2825.10.224

Vendor patch git.kernel.org →

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux kernel 4.19.320+ / 5.4.282+ / 5.10.224+ / 5.15.165+ (or latest stable)

Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 4.19.320 or later if using the 4.19.x branch
If using kernel 5.4.x, upgrade to version 5.4.282 or later
If using kernel 5.10.x, upgrade to version 5.10.224 or later
If using kernel 5.15.x, upgrade to version 5.15.165 or later
Reboot the system with the new kernel to apply the fix
The fix ensures that .tz_secondswest, .cached_start, and .cached_blocks fields in struct hfs_inode_info are properly initialized after hfs_alloc_inode() is called, preventing the uninitialized value access vulnerability

Caveat Kernel upgrades may require rebuilding out-of-tree modules; ensure driver compatibility before upgrading in production environments

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $1,600. Get the upgrade done

Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-42311 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2024-42311?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 4.19.320 / 5.4.282 or later

Severity 5.5 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.3%

Affects: Linux Kernel

Remediation

Need this fixed?

Get a fix

Estimated effortfrom ~9 hrs

ComplexityModerate

Typical engagementfrom $1,600

What a fix involves

We scope it with you and confirm a fixed quote
A specialist builds a reviewed fix
You deploy it to staging first
Optional re-test once it’s live

We specialise in CVE remediation. Send your environment and we’ll scope CVE-2024-42311 and return a fixed quote.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Remediation

References