Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2024-43837

medium Nessus Plugin ID 248138

Synopsis

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be patched.

Description

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

- In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix null pointer dereference in resolve_prog_type() for BPF_PROG_TYPE_EXT When loading a EXT program without specifying `attr->attach_prog_fd`, the `prog->aux->dst_prog` will be null. At this time, calling resolve_prog_type() anywhere will result in a null pointer dereference. Example stack trace: [ 8.107863] Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000004 [ 8.108262] Mem abort info: [ 8.108384] ESR = 0x0000000096000004 [ 8.108547] EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits [ 8.108722] SET = 0, FnV = 0 [ 8.108827] EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 [ 8.108939] FSC = 0x04: level 0 translation fault [ 8.109102] Data abort info: [ 8.109203] ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000004, ISS2 = 0x00000000 [ 8.109399] CM = 0, WnR = 0, TnD = 0, TagAccess = 0 [ 8.109614] GCS = 0, Overlay = 0, DirtyBit = 0, Xs = 0 [ 8.109836] user pgtable: 4k pages, 48-bit VAs, pgdp=0000000101354000 [ 8.110011] [0000000000000004] pgd=0000000000000000, p4d=0000000000000000 [ 8.112624] Internal error: Oops: 0000000096000004 [#1] PREEMPT SMP [ 8.112783] Modules linked in: [ 8.113120] CPU: 0 PID: 99 Comm: may_access_dire Not tainted 6.10.0-rc3-next-20240613-dirty #1 [ 8.113230] Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) [ 8.113390] pstate:
60000005 (nZCv daif -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) [ 8.113429] pc :
may_access_direct_pkt_data+0x24/0xa0 [ 8.113746] lr : add_subprog_and_kfunc+0x634/0x8e8 [ 8.113798] sp :
ffff80008283b9f0 [ 8.113813] x29: ffff80008283b9f0 x28: ffff800082795048 x27: 0000000000000001 [ 8.113881] x26: ffff0000c0bb2600 x25: 0000000000000000 x24: 0000000000000000 [ 8.113897] x23: ffff0000c1134000 x22:
000000000001864f x21: ffff0000c1138000 [ 8.113912] x20: 0000000000000001 x19: ffff0000c12b8000 x18:
ffffffffffffffff [ 8.113929] x17: 0000000000000000 x16: 0000000000000000 x15: 0720072007200720 [ 8.113944] x14: 0720072007200720 x13: 0720072007200720 x12: 0720072007200720 [ 8.113958] x11: 0720072007200720 x10:
0000000000f9fca4 x9 : ffff80008021f4e4 [ 8.113991] x8 : 0101010101010101 x7 : 746f72705f6d656d x6 :
000000001e0e0f5f [ 8.114006] x5 : 000000000001864f x4 : ffff0000c12b8000 x3 : 000000000000001c [ 8.114020] x2 : 0000000000000002 x1 : 0000000000000000 x0 : 0000000000000000 [ 8.114126] Call trace: [ 8.114159] may_access_direct_pkt_data+0x24/0xa0 [ 8.114202] bpf_check+0x3bc/0x28c0 [ 8.114214] bpf_prog_load+0x658/0xa58 [ 8.114227] __sys_bpf+0xc50/0x2250 [ 8.114240] __arm64_sys_bpf+0x28/0x40 [ 8.114254] invoke_syscall.constprop.0+0x54/0xf0 [ 8.114273] do_el0_svc+0x4c/0xd8 [ 8.114289] el0_svc+0x3c/0x140 [ 8.114305] el0t_64_sync_handler+0x134/0x150 [ 8.114331] el0t_64_sync+0x168/0x170 [ 8.114477] Code: 7100707f 54000081 f9401c00 f9403800 (b9400403) [ 8.118672] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- One way to fix it is by forcing `attach_prog_fd` non-empty when bpf_prog_load(). But this will lead to `libbpf_probe_bpf_prog_type` API broken which use verifier log to probe prog type and will log nothing if we reject invalid EXT prog before bpf_check(). Another way is by adding null check in resolve_prog_type(). The issue was introduced by commit 4a9c7bbe2ed4 (bpf: Resolve to prog->aux->dst_prog->type only for BPF_PROG_TYPE_EXT) which wanted to correct type resolution for BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACING programs. Before that, the type resolution of BPF_PROG_TYPE_EXT prog actually follows the logic below: prog->aux->dst_prog ? prog->aux->dst_prog->type : prog->type; It implies that when EXT program is not yet attached to `dst_prog`, the prog type should be EXT itself. This code worked fine in the past. So just keep using it. Fix this by returning `prog->type` for BPF_PROG_TYPE_EXT if `dst_prog` is not present in resolve_prog_type(). (CVE-2024-43837)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

Solution

There is no known solution at this time.

See Also

https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-43837

Plugin Details

Severity: Medium

ID: 248138

File Name: unpatched_CVE_2024_43837.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: local

Agent: unix

Family: Misc.

Published: 8/11/2025

Updated: 8/11/2025

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Azure, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 4.4

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Low

Base Score: 2.1

Temporal Score: 1.6

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2024-43837

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 5.5

Temporal Score: 4.8

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-hwe-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oracle-5.0, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oracle-5.13, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-riscv-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gcp-5.11, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-nvidia-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-hwe, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:22.04:-:lts, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-starfive-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oracle-5.3, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-hwe-edge, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-intel-5.13, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem-5.17, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gcp, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gke-5.15, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-5.19, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gcp-5.19, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-aws-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-riscv-5.11, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-riscv, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gcp-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-riscv-5.8, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-starfive-5.19, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gcp-5.3, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gke, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-aws-5.3, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-aws-5.11, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-edge, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-fde, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-hwe-6.2, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-aws-5.19, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gkeop-5.4, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-allwinner-5.19, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-aws-5.13, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-aws-6.2, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-hwe-5.11, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-aws-5.0, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-nvidia-6.2, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-aws-5.8, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem-5.13, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oracle-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-5.3, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem-6.0, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gcp-6.2, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-6.2, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-5.11, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem-5.10, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-raspi2, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-intel-iot-realtime, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gke-5.4, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-5.8, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-hwe-5.19, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gcp-5.8, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-realtime, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-5.13, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gcp-5.13, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem-5.6, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-hwe-5.8, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oracle-5.11, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem-6.1, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oracle-5.8, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-hwe-5.13, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-riscv-5.19, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-gke-4.15, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-starfive-6.2, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:-:lts, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem-6.5, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-oem-5.14, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-fde-5.19, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:linux-azure-fde-6.2

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, global_settings/vendor_unpatched, Host/OS/identifier

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Vulnerability Publication Date: 8/17/2024

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2024-43837