CWE
208
Advisory Published
Updated

CVE-2024-56738

First published: Sun Dec 29 2024(Updated: )

GNU GRUB (aka GRUB2) through 2.12 does not use a constant-time algorithm for grub_crypto_memcmp and thus allows side-channel attacks.

Credit: cve@mitre.org

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
Ubuntu GRUB (GNU GRand Unified Bootloader)<2.12

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the severity of CVE-2024-56738?

    CVE-2024-56738 is rated as a high-severity vulnerability due to its potential for facilitating side-channel attacks.

  • How do I fix CVE-2024-56738?

    To mitigate CVE-2024-56738, update GNU GRUB to version 2.12 or later as this version implements a constant-time comparison function.

  • What are the risks associated with CVE-2024-56738?

    CVE-2024-56738 may allow attackers to infer secrets from the system by exploiting timing discrepancies in memory comparison operations.

  • Which versions of GNU GRUB are affected by CVE-2024-56738?

    CVE-2024-56738 affects all versions of GNU GRUB prior to version 2.12.

  • Is there a workaround for CVE-2024-56738 until I can update?

    No official workaround is provided for CVE-2024-56738; the best practice is to update to the latest version as soon as possible.

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