CVE-2024-38538: linux Use of Uninitialized Resource

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2024-38538 is a high (CVSS 7.3) Use of Uninitialized Resource vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.28% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 19.6% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 19-06-2024
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 05-08-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bridge: xmit: make sure we have at least eth header len bytes syzbot triggered an uninit value[1] error in bridge device's xmit path by sending a short (less than ETH_HLEN bytes) skb. To fix it check if we can actually pull that amount instead of assuming. Tested with dropwatch: drop at: br_dev_xmit+0xb93/0x12d0 [bridge] (0xffffffffc06739b3) origin: software timestamp: Mon May 13 11:31:53 2024 778214037 nsec protocol: 0x88a8 length: 2 original length: 2 drop reason: PKT_TOO_SMALL [1] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in br_dev_xmit+0x61d/0x1cb0 net/bridge/br_device.c:65 br_dev_xmit+0x61d/0x1cb0 net/bridge/br_device.c:65 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4903 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4917 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3531 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x247/0xa20 net/core/dev.c:3547 __dev_queue_xmit+0x34db/0x5350 net/core/dev.c:4341 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3091 [inline] __bpf_tx_skb net/core/filter.c:2136 [inline] __bpf_redirect_common net/core/filter.c:2180 [inline] __bpf_redirect+0x14a6/0x1620 net/core/filter.c:2187 ____bpf_clone_redirect net/core/filter.c:2460 [inline] bpf_clone_redirect+0x328/0x470 net/core/filter.c:2432 ___bpf_prog_run+0x13fe/0xe0f0 kernel/bpf/core.c:1997 __bpf_prog_run512+0xb5/0xe0 kernel/bpf/core.c:2238 bpf_dispatcher_nop_func include/linux/bpf.h:1234 [inline] __bpf_prog_run include/linux/filter.h:657 [inline] bpf_prog_run include/linux/filter.h:664 [inline] bpf_test_run+0x499/0xc30 net/bpf/test_run.c:425 bpf_prog_test_run_skb+0x14ea/0x1f20 net/bpf/test_run.c:1058 bpf_prog_test_run+0x6b7/0xad0 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:4269 __sys_bpf+0x6aa/0xd90 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5678 __do_sys_bpf kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5767 [inline] __se_sys_bpf kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5765 [inline] __x64_sys_bpf+0xa0/0xe0 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5765 x64_sys_call+0x96b/0x3b50 arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_64.h:322 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+0x77/0x7f

• CWE-908Use of Uninitialized ResourceThe product uses or accesses a resource that has not been initialized.