CVE-2024-57261
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.
NVD · uneditedIn barebox before 2025.01.0, request2size in common/dlmalloc.c has an integer overflow, a related issue to CVE-2024-57258.
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.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceInteger overflow in the request2size function within barebox's dlmalloc (dynamic memory allocator) implementation. The function calculates allocation sizes from user requests, and the overflow could cause incorrect size calculations leading to heap memory corruption, potentially allowing privilege escalation or denial of service.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify barebox versionRun 'barebox --version' or check the version string in the built barebox binary using 'strings <binary> | grep -i barebox' or inspecting the build system/version fileAffected if Version is present and older than 2025.01.0
-
Confirm dlmalloc is the active allocatorCheck the barebox configuration file (.config) for 'CONFIG_DLMALLOC=y' or examine the source code to verify dlmalloc is compiled in common/dlmalloc.cAffected if dlmalloc is compiled into the binary (CONFIG_DLMALLOC enabled)
-
Inspect request2size function in sourceExamine common/dlmalloc.c for the request2size function definition and look for missing overflow checks when calculating size from request + header overheadAffected if The function lacks proper integer overflow validation before arithmetic operations
Environment is affected if barebox version is before 2025.01.0 and dlmalloc is the active memory allocator with the vulnerable request2size function present.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade barebox to version 2025.01.0 or later which contains the patched request2size function in common/dlmalloc.c. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, apply the vendor patch for CVE-2024-57261.
barebox 2025.01.0 or later
- 1. Identify the current barebox version running on the system using the version command or checking boot logs
- 2. Back up the current barebox installation, configuration, and any critical environment settings
- 3. Download barebox version 2025.01.0 or later from the official barebox repository (git.pengutronix.de)
- 4. Build the new barebox version following the project's standard build instructions for your target platform
- 5. Flash the upgraded barebox image to the target device using the appropriate method (JTAG, USB, network boot, or storage device)
- 6. Verify the upgrade by checking the barebox version at boot time
- 7. Test that all expected functionality works correctly after the upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-57261 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-57261 in production — separate from our analysis above.
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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data