CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2024-42161 — Linux Linux Kernel security vulnerability

Medium CVSS 6.3

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Avoid uninitialized value in BPF_CORE_READ_BITFIELD [Changes from V1: - Use a default branch in the switch statement to initialize `val'.] GCC warns that `val' may be used uninitialized in the BPF_CRE_READ_BITFIELD macro, defined in bpf_core_read.h as: [...] unsigned long long val; \ [...] \ switch (__CORE_RELO(s, field, BYTE_SIZE)) { \ case 1: val = *(const unsigned char *)p; break; \ case 2: val = *(const unsigned short *)p; break; \ case 4: val = *(const unsigned int *)p; break; \ case 8: val = *(const unsigned long long *)p; break; \ } \ [...] val; \ } \ This patch adds a default entry in the switch statement that sets `val' to zero in order to avoid the warning, and random values to be used in case __builtin_preserve_field_info returns unexpected values for BPF_FIELD_BYTE_SIZE. Tested in bpf-next master. No regressions.

Severity
Medium
CVSS
6.3 (3.1)
Published
2024-07-30
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
linux/kernel
Weaknesses
CWE-908

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel

Showing 1 representative product identities from 5 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

General vulnerability remediation

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Check exposure

  • Confirm the affected component, deployment paths, reachable interfaces, and enabled features from inventories and configuration, without probing production destructively.
  • Compare the advisory's affected conditions with the repository lockfiles, build manifests, artifacts, and runtime inventory.
  • Identify data sensitivity, trust boundaries, and privilege level for every confirmed affected deployment.

Remediate safely

  • Apply a vendor-supported fix or remove the affected component or feature; record the selected change and its source in the repository.
  • Update direct and transitive dependency locks, generated artifacts, deployment manifests, and asset inventories together.
  • Add a regression test for the documented unsafe condition using inert inputs and preserve rollback instructions.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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