CVE-2024-38618: ALSA: timer: Set lower bound of start tick time

Published Jun 19, 2024
·
Updated

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

ALSA: timer: Set lower bound of start tick time

Currently ALSA timer doesn't have the lower limit of the start tick time, and it allows a very small size, e.g. 1 tick with 1ns resolution for hrtimer. Such a situation may lead to an unexpected RCU stall, where the callback repeatedly queuing the expire update, as reported by fuzzer.

This patch introduces a sanity check of the timer start tick time, so that the system returns an error when a too small start size is set. As of this patch, the lower limit is hard-coded to 100us, which is small enough but can still work somehow.

Other sources

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

ALSA: timer: Set lower bound of start tick time

The Linux kernel CVE team has assigned CVE-2024-38618 to this issue.

Upstream advisory: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2024061923-CVE-2024-38618-35a9@gregkh/T

Red Hat

Affected Software

16 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<6.9.3
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<4.19.316
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<6.9.3

Event History

Jun 19, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:56 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:56 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:15 PM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:15 PM
RemedyAffected Software
Aug 8, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:30 PM
Description
Apr 27, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·12:30 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2024-38618?

CVE-2024-38618 is classified as a moderate severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel.

2

How do I fix CVE-2024-38618?

To fix CVE-2024-38618, update the Linux kernel to versions 4.19.316, 5.4.278, 5.10.219, 5.15.161, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.9.3, or 6.10 as per the advisories.

3

What versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2024-38618?

The affected versions of the Linux kernel are prior to 4.19.316, 5.4.278, 5.10.219, 5.15.161, 6.1.93, 6.6.33, 6.9.3, and 6.10.

4

What component is impacted by CVE-2024-38618?

CVE-2024-38618 impacts the ALSA timer component of the Linux kernel.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2024-38618?

There are currently no known workarounds for CVE-2024-38618, and patching is the recommended approach.

Contact

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