CVE-2024-38558: net: openvswitch: fix overwriting ct original tuple for ICMPv6

Published Jun 19, 2024
·
Updated

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

net: openvswitch: fix overwriting ct original tuple for ICMPv6

OVSPACKETCMDEXECUTE has 3 main attributes: - OVSPACKETATTRKEY - Packet metadata in a netlink format. - OVSPACKETATTRPACKET - Binary packet content. - OVSPACKETATTRACTIONS - Actions to execute on the packet.

OVSPACKETATTRKEY is parsed first to populate swflowkey structure with the metadata like conntrack state, input port, recirculation id, etc. Then the packet itself gets parsed to populate the rest of the keys from the packet headers.

Whenever the packet parsing code starts parsing the ICMPv6 header, it first zeroes out fields in the key corresponding to Neighbor Discovery information even if it is not an ND packet.

It is an 'ipv6.nd' field. However, the 'ipv6' is a union that shares the space between 'nd' and 'ctorig' that holds the original tuple conntrack metadata parsed from the OVSPACKETATTRKEY.

ND packets should not normally have conntrack state, so it's fine to share the space, but normal ICMPv6 Echo packets or maybe other types of ICMPv6 can have the state attached and it should not be overwritten.

The issue results in all but the last 4 bytes of the destination address being wiped from the original conntrack tuple leading to incorrect packet matching and potentially executing wrong actions in case this packet recirculates within the datapath or goes back to userspace.

ND fields should not be accessed in non-ND packets, so not clearing them should be fine. Executing memset() only for actual ND packets to avoid the issue.

Initializing the whole thing before parsing is needed because ND packet may not contain all the options.

The issue only affects the OVSPACKETCMDEXECUTE path and doesn't affect packets entering OVS datapath from network interfaces, because in this case CT metadata is populated from skb after the packet is already parsed.

Other sources

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

net: openvswitch: fix overwriting ct original tuple for ICMPv6

The Linux kernel CVE team has assigned CVE-2024-38558 to this issue.

Upstream advisory: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2024061953-CVE-2024-38558-ddfd@gregkh/T

Red Hat

Affected Software

18 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/kernel<4.19.316
4.19.316
redhat/kernel<5.4.278
5.4.278
redhat/kernel<5.10.219
5.10.219
redhat/kernel<5.15.161
5.15.161
redhat/kernel<6.1.93
6.1.93
redhat/kernel<6.6.33
6.6.33
redhat/kernel<6.8.12
6.8.12
redhat/kernel<6.9.3
6.9.3
redhat/kernel<6.10
6.10
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1
Linux Linux kernel>=4.11<4.19.316
Linux Linux kernel>=4.20<5.4.278
Linux Linux kernel>=5.5<5.10.219
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.161
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.93
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.33
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.8.12
Linux Linux kernel>=6.9<6.9.3

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 4.19.316
  2. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 5.4.278
  3. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 5.10.219
  4. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 5.15.161
  5. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 6.1.93
  6. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 6.6.33
  7. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 6.8.12
  8. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 6.9.3
  9. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 6.10
  10. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.234-1Fixed in 6.1.129-1Fixed in 6.1.135-1Fixed in 6.12.25-1Fixed in 6.12.27-1

Event History

Jun 19, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:35 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:35 PM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:15 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:15 PM
RemedySeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Aug 8, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:29 PM
Description
Apr 27, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·12:29 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2024-38558?

CVE-2024-38558 has a medium severity rating due to the potential impact on packet processing in the Linux kernel.

2

How do I fix CVE-2024-38558?

To fix CVE-2024-38558, you should update the Linux kernel to a version higher than 4.19.316, 5.4.278, 5.10.219, 5.15.161, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.8.12, 6.9.3, or 6.10.

3

What software is affected by CVE-2024-38558?

CVE-2024-38558 affects specific versions of the Linux kernel, including those provided by Red Hat and Debian.

4

Can CVE-2024-38558 lead to any exploits?

Yes, CVE-2024-38558 could potentially be exploited to disrupt the normal operation of networking functions in the Linux kernel.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2024-38558?

There is no official workaround for CVE-2024-38558; the recommended action is to apply the appropriate kernel updates.

Contact

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