Linux Kernel up to 6.12.4 ptrace tagged_addr_ctrl_set uninitialized pointer

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.10.230/5.15.173/6.1.119/6.6.65/6.12.4 and classified as problematic. The affected element is the function tagged_addr_ctrl_set of the component ptrace. Performing a manipulation results in uninitialized pointer. This vulnerability is identified as CVE-2024-57874. There is not any exploit available. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.10.230/5.15.173/6.1.119/6.6.65/6.12.4. This affects the function tagged_addr_ctrl_set of the component ptrace. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a uninitialized pointer vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-824. The product accesses or uses a pointer that has not been initialized. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: arm64: ptrace: fix partial SETREGSET for NT_ARM_TAGGED_ADDR_CTRL Currently tagged_addr_ctrl_set() doesn't initialize the temporary 'ctrl' variable, and a SETREGSET call with a length of zero will leave this uninitialized. Consequently tagged_addr_ctrl_set() will consume an arbitrary value, potentially leaking up to 64 bits of memory from the kernel stack. The read is limited to a specific slot on the stack, and the issue does not provide a write mechanism. As set_tagged_addr_ctrl() only accepts values where bits [63:4] zero and rejects other values, a partial SETREGSET attempt will randomly succeed or fail depending on the value of the uninitialized value, and the exposure is significantly limited. Fix this by initializing the temporary value before copying the regset from userspace, as for other regsets (e.g. NT_PRSTATUS, NT_PRFPREG, NT_ARM_SYSTEM_CALL). In the case of a zero-length write, the existing value of the tagged address ctrl will be retained. The NT_ARM_TAGGED_ADDR_CTRL regset is only visible in the user_aarch64_view used by a native AArch64 task to manipulate another native AArch64 task. As get_tagged_addr_ctrl() only returns an error value when called for a compat task, tagged_addr_ctrl_get() and tagged_addr_ctrl_set() should never observe an error value from get_tagged_addr_ctrl(). Add a WARN_ON_ONCE() to both to indicate that such an error would be unexpected, and error handlnig is not missing in either case.

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2024-57874 since 01/11/2025. The exploitability is told to be difficult. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 216985 (Debian dla-4076 : linux-config-6.1 - security update), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 5.10.231, 5.15.174, 6.1.120, 6.6.66 or 6.12.5 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 1152dd13845efde5554f80c7e1233bae1d26bd3e/1c176f5155ee6161fee6f416b64aa50394d3f220/1370cf3eb5495d70e00547598583a4cd45b40b99/96035c0093db258975b8887676afe59a64c34a72/abd614bbfcee73247495bd9472da8f85ac83546e/ca62d90085f4af36de745883faab9f8a7cbb45d3 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 (216985) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-0047). Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Avamar
• Red Hat OpenShift
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• Dell PowerProtect Data Domain
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.10.230
• 5.15.173
• 6.1.119
• 6.6.0
• 6.6.1
• 6.6.2
• 6.6.3
• 6.6.4
• 6.6.5
• 6.6.6
• 6.6.7
• 6.6.8
• 6.6.9
• 6.6.10
• 6.6.11
• 6.6.12
• 6.6.13
• 6.6.14
• 6.6.15
• 6.6.16
• 6.6.17
• 6.6.18
• 6.6.19
• 6.6.20
• 6.6.21
• 6.6.22
• 6.6.23
• 6.6.24
• 6.6.25
• 6.6.26
• 6.6.27
• 6.6.28
• 6.6.29
• 6.6.30
• 6.6.31
• 6.6.32
• 6.6.33
• 6.6.34
• 6.6.35
• 6.6.36
• 6.6.37
• 6.6.38
• 6.6.39
• 6.6.40
• 6.6.41
• 6.6.42
• 6.6.43
• 6.6.44
• 6.6.45
• 6.6.46
• 6.6.47
• 6.6.48
• 6.6.49
• 6.6.50
• 6.6.51
• 6.6.52
• 6.6.53
• 6.6.54
• 6.6.55
• 6.6.56
• 6.6.57
• 6.6.58
• 6.6.59
• 6.6.60
• 6.6.61
• 6.6.62
• 6.6.63
• 6.6.64
• 6.6.65
• 6.12.0
• 6.12.1
• 6.12.2
• 6.12.3
• 6.12.4

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Entryinfo

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