ALSA: timer: Set lower bound of start tick time
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 fixed, 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: timer: Set lower bound of start tick time Currently ALSA timer doesn't have the lower limit of the start tick time, and it allows a very small size, e.g. 1 tick with 1ns resolution for hrtimer. Such a situation may lead to an unexpected RCU stall, where the callback repeatedly queuing the expire update, as reported by fuzzer. This patch introduces a sanity check of the timer start tick time, so that the system returns an error when a too small start size is set. As of this patch, the lower limit is hard-coded to 100us, which is small enough but can still work somehow.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.29 and later | 4.19.316, 5.4.278, 5.10.219, 5.15.161, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.9.3, 6.10 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.29 and later Fixed in 4.19.316, 5.4.278, 5.10.219, 5.15.161, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.9.3, 6.10 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 4.19.316; 4.20 to before 5.4.278; 5.5 to before 5.10.219; 5.11 to before 5.15.161; 5.16 to before 6.1.93; 6.2 to before 6.6.33; 6.7 to before 6.9.3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 4.19.316; 4.20 to before 5.4.278; 5.5 to before 5.10.219; 5.11 to before 5.15.161; 5.16 to before 6.1.93; 6.2 to before 6.6.33; 6.7 to before 6.9.3 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.19.316, 5.4.278, 5.10.219, 5.15.161, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.9.3, 6.10
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2024:9315 Released 2024-11-12 · Red Hat rating Moderatekernel security update
- Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-cross-headers-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, libperf-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) bpftool-7.4.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-64k-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5 +30
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5 +9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5 +11
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9315 |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9)
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-38618
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-2hfc-xmh6-q9f9
- 2026-10-18 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68396c825c43664b20a3a1ba546844deb2b4e48f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74bfb8d90f2601718ae203faf45a196844c01fa1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bdd0aa055b8ec7e24bbc19513f3231958741d0ab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83f0ba8592b9e258fd80ac6486510ab1dcd7ad6e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ceab795a67dd28dd942d0d8bba648c6c0f7a044b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c95241ac5fc90c929d6c0c023e84bf0d30e84c3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/abb1ad69d98cf1ff25bb14fff0e7c3f66239e1cd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a63bd179fa8d3fcc44a0d9d71d941ddd62f0c4e
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- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2024-38618 · CVE Program
- CVE-2024-38618 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-2hfc-xmh6-q9f9 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2024-38618 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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