CVE-2024-50165

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. A privileged local attacker with administrative access could exploit a memory leak when the system processes mount options. This vulnerability occurs because the kernel fails to properly release allocated memory, leading to resource exhaustion. Successful exploitation could result in a denial of service (DoS), making the system unresponsive or unstable.

The default Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel prevents unprivileged users from being able to use eBPF by the kernel.unprivileged_bpf_disabled sysctl. This would require a privileged user with CAP_SYS_ADMIN or root to be able to abuse this flaw reducing its attack space.

For the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 to confirm the current state, inspect the sysctl with the command:

cat /proc/sys/kernel/unprivileged_bpf_disabled

The setting of 1 would mean that unprivileged users can not use eBPF, mitigating the flaw.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.

To reduce the attack surface, ensure that unprivileged eBPF use is disabled. This can be verified by checking the kernel.unprivileged_bpf_disabled sysctl. A value of 1 prevents unprivileged users from utilizing eBPF.

To enforce this setting, create or modify a file such as /etc/sysctl.d/99-disable-unprivileged-bpf.conf with the line kernel.unprivileged_bpf_disabled = 1. Apply the change using sysctl --system. A system reboot may be required for the changes to take full effect.