Linux Kernel up to 6.9.7 time_32/64.c profile_pc stack-based overflow

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CTI Interest Score
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5.4$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability marked as critical has been reported in Linux Kernel up to 6.9.7. The affected element is the function profile_pc of the file time_32/64.c. This manipulation causes stack-based overflow. This vulnerability appears as CVE-2024-42096. There is no available exploit. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.9.7. Affected by this vulnerability is the function profile_pc of the file time_32/64.c. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a stack-based overflow vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-121. A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function). As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86: stop playing stack games in profile_pc() The 'profile_pc()' function is used for timer-based profiling, which isn't really all that relevant any more to begin with, but it also ends up making assumptions based on the stack layout that aren't necessarily valid. Basically, the code tries to account the time spent in spinlocks to the caller rather than the spinlock, and while I support that as a concept, it's not worth the code complexity or the KASAN warnings when no serious profiling is done using timers anyway these days. And the code really does depend on stack layout that is only true in the simplest of cases. We've lost the comment at some point (I think when the 32-bit and 64-bit code was unified), but it used to say: Assume the lock function has either no stack frame or a copy of eflags from PUSHF. which explains why it just blindly loads a word or two straight off the stack pointer and then takes a minimal look at the values to just check if they might be eflags or the return pc: Eflags always has bits 22 and up cleared unlike kernel addresses but that basic stack layout assumption assumes that there isn't any lock debugging etc going on that would complicate the code and cause a stack frame. It causes KASAN unhappiness reported for years by syzkaller [1] and others [2]. With no real practical reason for this any more, just remove the code. Just for historical interest, here's some background commits relating to this code from 2006: 0cb91a229364 ("i386: Account spinlocks to the caller during profiling for !FP kernels") 31679f38d886 ("Simplify profile_pc on x86-64") and a code unification from 2009: ef4512882dbe ("x86: time_32/64.c unify profile_pc") but the basics of this thing actually goes back to before the git tree.

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2024-42096 since 07/29/2024. The exploitation appears to be easy. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 09/25/2025).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 207802 (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS : Linux kernel vulnerabilities (USN-7003-4)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 4.19.317, 5.4.279, 5.10.221, 5.15.162, 6.1.97, 6.6.37 or 6.9.8 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 65ebdde16e7f/27c3be840911/49c09ca35a5f/2d07fea561d6/161cef818545/16222beb9f8e/a3b65c8cbc13/093d9603b600 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (207802) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2024-1722). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Affected

  • Debian Linux
  • Amazon Linux 2
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
  • Ubuntu Linux
  • SUSE Linux
  • IBM InfoSphere Guardium
  • Oracle Linux
  • NetApp FAS
  • NetApp ActiveIQ Unified Manager
  • Siemens SIMATIC S7
  • Oracle VM
  • IBM Security Guardium
  • RESF Rocky Linux
  • Broadcom Brocade SANnav
  • Dell PowerScale
  • Open Source Linux Kernel
  • IBM QRadar SIEM
  • Dell integrated Dell Remote Access Controller
  • IBM Storage Scale
  • IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
  • Juniper Junos Space
  • IBM Storage Scale System
  • SolarWinds Security Event Manager

Productinfo

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Version

License

Website

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 5.5
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 5.4

VulDB Base Score: 5.5
VulDB Temp Score: 5.3
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 5.5
NVD Vector: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Stack-based overflow
CWE: CWE-121 / CWE-119
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: Partially

Availability: 🔍
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

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Nessus ID: 207802
Nessus Name: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS : Linux kernel vulnerabilities (USN-7003-4)

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔍

Upgrade: Kernel 4.19.317/5.4.279/5.10.221/5.15.162/6.1.97/6.6.37/6.9.8
Patch: 65ebdde16e7f/27c3be840911/49c09ca35a5f/2d07fea561d6/161cef818545/16222beb9f8e/a3b65c8cbc13/093d9603b600

Timelineinfo

07/29/2024 🔍
07/29/2024 +0 days 🔍
07/29/2024 +0 days 🔍
09/25/2025 +423 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2024-42096 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2024-42096
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-272773
CERT Bund: WID-SEC-2024-1722 - Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen nicht spezifizierten Angriff

Entryinfo

Created: 07/29/2024 20:13
Updated: 09/25/2025 22:24
Changes: 07/29/2024 20:13 (59), 07/30/2024 19:05 (1), 09/27/2024 13:13 (3), 07/16/2025 00:13 (7), 07/19/2025 19:31 (1), 09/25/2025 22:24 (10)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

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