CVE-2024-35875: x86/coco: Require seeding RNG with RDRAND on CoCo systems

Published May 19, 2024
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

x86/coco: Require seeding RNG with RDRAND on CoCo systems

The Linux kernel CVE team has assigned CVE-2024-35875 to this issue.

Upstream advisory: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2024051942-CVE-2024-35875-e23d@gregkh/T

Other sources

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

x86/coco: Require seeding RNG with RDRAND on CoCo systems

There are few uses of CoCo that don't rely on working cryptography and hence a working RNG. Unfortunately, the CoCo threat model means that the VM host cannot be trusted and may actively work against guests to extract secrets or manipulate computation. Since a malicious host can modify or observe nearly all inputs to guests, the only remaining source of entropy for CoCo guests is RDRAND.

If RDRAND is broken -- due to CPU hardware fault -- the RNG as a whole is meant to gracefully continue on gathering entropy from other sources, but since there aren't other sources on CoCo, this is catastrophic. This is mostly a concern at boot time when initially seeding the RNG, as after that the consequences of a broken RDRAND are much more theoretical.

So, try at boot to seed the RNG using 256 bits of RDRAND output. If this fails, panic(). This will also trigger if the system is booted without RDRAND, as RDRAND is essential for a safe CoCo boot.

Add this deliberately to be "just a CoCo x86 driver feature" and not part of the RNG itself. Many device drivers and platforms have some desire to contribute something to the RNG, and adddevicerandomness() is specifically meant for this purpose.

Any driver can call it with seed data of any quality, or even garbage quality, and it can only possibly make the quality of the RNG better or have no effect, but can never make it worse.

Rather than trying to build something into the core of the RNG, consider the particular CoCo issue just a CoCo issue, and therefore separate it all out into driver (well, arch/platform) code.

[ bp: Massage commit message. ]

NVD

Affected Software

10 affected componentsFixes available
debian/linux<=5.10.223-1, <=5.10.234-1
6.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1
redhat/kernel<6.1.85
6.1.85
redhat/kernel<6.6.26
6.6.26
redhat/kernel<6.8.5
6.8.5
redhat/kernel<6.9
6.9
Linux Linux kernel<6.1.85
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.26
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.8.5
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.1.129-1Fixed in 6.1.135-1Fixed in 6.12.25-1Fixed in 6.12.27-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.1.85
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.6.26
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.8.5
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.9

Event History

May 19, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:34 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:34 AM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·09:15 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·09:15 AM
RemedySeverityAffected Software
May 20, 2024
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·01:02 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jul 15, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·07:46 PM
Description
Apr 27, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·12:21 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Sep 27, 2025
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·01:01 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2024-35875?

CVE-2024-35875 has been identified as a security vulnerability in the Linux kernel that affects the seeding of random number generation on CoCo systems.

2

How do I fix CVE-2024-35875?

To mitigate CVE-2024-35875, update your Linux kernel to versions 6.1.85, 6.6.26, or later, depending on your distribution.

3

Which Linux kernel versions are affected by CVE-2024-35875?

CVE-2024-35875 affects various kernel versions including those up to 6.1.85, 6.6.26, 6.8.5, and 6.9 for Red Hat, and specific versions up to 5.10.226-1 for Debian.

4

Is there a workaround for CVE-2024-35875?

The recommended fix is to upgrade the kernel, as there are no known workarounds for CVE-2024-35875.

5

What systems are impacted by CVE-2024-35875?

CVE-2024-35875 primarily affects systems using the Linux kernel on x86 architecture, specifically those using CoCo systems.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203