CVE-2024-45578: Memory Corruption Vulnerability in IOCTLs during IFE Output Resource ID Validation

Overview

CVE-2024-45578 is a serious security vulnerability that potentially affects a wide range of systems and applications that utilize IOCTLs during IFE output resource ID validation. This vulnerability can lead to memory corruption, which can, in turn, lead to a potential system compromise or data leakage. Given the severity of this vulnerability, it is crucial for system administrators, security professionals, and end-users to understand its potential impact, affected products, and mitigation strategies.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2024-45578
Severity: High (7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

IFE Kernel Module | 1.0 – 2.5
IFE Software Stack | 1.0 – 3.2

How the Exploit Works

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted IOCTL requests during the IFE output resource ID validation process. Due to insufficient input validation, these requests can trigger memory corruption. This condition can lead to unexpected system behavior, including crashes, data corruption, or potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, leading to a full system compromise.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited. This pseudocode represents a malicious IOCTL request that triggers the vulnerability:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <sys/ioctl.h>
int main() {
int fd = open("/dev/ife", O_RDWR);
if (fd < 0) {
perror("Failed to open IFE device");
return 1;
}
char malicious_data[1024] = {0};
// Fill in malicious_data with the payload...
if (ioctl(fd, IFE_OUTPUT_RESOURCE_ID, malicious_data) < 0) {
perror("Failed to send IOCTL");
return 1;
}
close(fd);
return 0;
}

In this example, an attacker uses a malicious payload passed through IOCTL requests to the IFE device, causing memory corruption and potentially gaining unauthorized access or causing a system crash.

Mitigation Guidance

The most efficient way to mitigate this vulnerability is to apply the patch provided by the vendor. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, temporary mitigation can be achieved by using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect and block malicious IOCTL requests that could potentially exploit this vulnerability. However, these are merely temporary solutions, and the vendor-provided patch should be applied as soon as practicable to ensure system security.