CVE-2024-46854 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 09/27/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: dpaa: Pad packets to ETH_ZLEN
When sending packets under 60 bytes, up to three bytes of the buffer following the data may be leaked. Avoid this by extending all packets to ETH_ZLEN, ensuring nothing is leaked in the padding. This bug can be reproduced by running
$ ping -s 11 destination
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-46854 affects the Linux kernel's data plane acceleration driver known as dpaa which is designed for Freescale QorIQ family of processors. This issue resides within the network packet handling mechanism where the driver fails to properly pad packets to the minimum Ethernet frame size. The flaw manifests when packets are transmitted that are smaller than the standard Ethernet minimum frame length of 60 bytes. According to the Common Weakness Enumeration standard CWE-129 represents the weakness category for improper validation of length parameters, which directly applies to this vulnerability where the packet padding logic does not adequately handle frame size constraints. The specific implementation issue occurs within the dpaa network driver's packet transmission routine where insufficient padding allows for memory leakage from adjacent buffer regions.
The technical flaw stems from the driver's failure to pad packets to the Ethernet minimum frame size of 60 bytes as required by the IEEE 802.3 standard. When packets are sent that are less than 60 bytes, the driver does not properly extend them to fill the complete frame, leaving the padding bytes uninitialized. This creates a situation where three bytes of memory immediately following the packet data may contain residual data from previous operations or stack contents. The vulnerability can be reliably reproduced using the ping command with a specific packet size that results in frames smaller than the minimum Ethernet requirement, as demonstrated by the command ping -s 11 destination. The memory leakage occurs because the kernel does not explicitly initialize the padding bytes to zero or any defined value before transmission, creating potential information disclosure risks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information leakage as it represents a potential security risk in environments where network traffic analysis is conducted. Attackers could potentially exploit this flaw to extract sensitive information from memory that might contain credentials, cryptographic keys, or other confidential data that happens to reside in the buffer padding areas. The vulnerability affects systems using the dpaa driver specifically on Freescale QorIQ processors and impacts the confidentiality aspect of the CIA security triad. This issue aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique T1005 for Data from Local System, where adversaries might attempt to gather sensitive information through memory inspection techniques. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in high-security environments or systems handling classified information where such memory leakage could provide attackers with additional attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-46854 involve applying the kernel patch that ensures all packets are padded to the Ethernet minimum frame size of 60 bytes before transmission. The fix implemented in the kernel code explicitly extends packets to ETH_ZLEN, which is defined as 60 bytes for standard Ethernet frames, thereby eliminating the padding leakage issue. System administrators should update their kernel versions to include this patch as soon as possible, particularly in environments where network monitoring or security auditing is performed. The solution also requires verification that the dpaa driver is properly configured and that all network interfaces using this driver are patched. Additionally, monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual packet sizes or patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability primarily affects the confidentiality of transmitted data rather than system availability or integrity.