CVE-2024-40930 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 07/12/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: cfg80211: validate HE operation element parsing
Validate that the HE operation element has the correct length before parsing it.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-40930 resides within the linux kernel's wireless subsystem, specifically affecting the cfg80211 configuration framework that manages wireless device operations. This issue represents a classic buffer over-read condition that occurs during the parsing of High Efficiency (HE) operation elements within wireless communication protocols. The HE operation element is a critical component of the 802.11ax standard that defines how wireless devices configure and operate within high-efficiency wireless networks. When the kernel attempts to parse these elements without proper validation of their length, it creates an opportunity for malicious actors to craft specially malformed wireless frames that could trigger unexpected behavior in the kernel's wireless processing routines.
The technical flaw manifests when the kernel's cfg80211 subsystem receives wireless management frames containing HE operation elements that do not conform to expected length specifications. Without proper validation of the element's length field before attempting to parse its contents, the kernel's wireless driver code may read beyond the allocated memory boundaries of the element structure. This condition falls under the CWE-129 weakness category, specifically addressing inadequate input validation leading to buffer over-read scenarios. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level where such flaws can lead to privilege escalation or system instability. The parsing routine fails to verify that the length field in the HE operation element matches the expected structure size before proceeding with memory access operations, creating a path for attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across all linux systems running kernel versions that include the affected cfg80211 wireless framework. Systems utilizing wireless networking capabilities, particularly those supporting 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) standards, face potential exploitation through crafted wireless frames that could be transmitted by nearby malicious devices. The attack surface is significant as wireless networks remain a primary communication channel in enterprise and consumer environments. An attacker could potentially leverage this vulnerability to cause system crashes, leading to denial of service conditions that disrupt wireless connectivity, or more critically, execute code with kernel privileges to gain full system control. The vulnerability's exploitation requires proximity to the target system and the ability to transmit wireless frames, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-40930 focus on applying the latest kernel security patches that implement proper length validation before parsing HE operation elements. System administrators should prioritize updating their linux kernel versions to include the fix that validates the length field of HE operation elements prior to memory access operations. Additionally, network administrators can implement wireless monitoring solutions to detect and alert on malformed wireless frames that might attempt to exploit this vulnerability. The fix typically involves adding a length check that ensures the element's declared size matches the expected structure before any parsing occurs, preventing the buffer over-read condition. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit wireless network exposure, while monitoring wireless traffic for anomalies that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of wireless infrastructure and kernel security posture reviews should be conducted to maintain defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities in wireless networking components.