CVE-2024-0229VulnerabilityPublished 9 Feb 2024Updated 6 Nov 2025

CVE-2024-0229: Out-of-bounds Write

Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.8High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 1.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 68% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 9 Feb 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

AI-suggested

Organizations should prioritize patching the X.Org server to a fixed version once available from their Linux distribution vendors or upstream maintainers. Until patches are released, administrators should consider disabling or restricting SSH X11 forwarding to reduce remote exploitation risk. Running the X.Org server with the least privileges necessary can limit the impact of local privilege escalation attempts. Employing mandatory access controls (e.g., SELinux, AppArmor) to confine the X.Org server process can further mitigate exploitation impact. Monitoring system logs for unusual device reattachment or sync grab events may help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, restricting local user access and enforcing strong authentication policies can reduce the likelihood of an attacker gaining the initial foothold required to exploit this vulnerability. Organizations should also stay alert for updates from security advisories and apply them promptly.

Description

An out-of-bounds memory access flaw was found in the X.Org server. This issue can be triggered when a device frozen by a sync grab is reattached to a different master device. This issue may lead to an application crash, local privilege escalation (if the server runs with extended privileges), or remote code execution in SSH X11 forwarding environments.

Impact

The vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations worldwide that use the affected X.Org server version 21.1.0, especially in Linux environments. The out-of-bounds write can cause application crashes, disrupting normal operations and potentially leading to denial of service. More critically, it enables local privilege escalation, allowing attackers with limited access to gain higher system privileges, which can compromise system integrity and confidentiality. In environments where SSH X11 forwarding is enabled, remote attackers could exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code on the target system, leading to full system compromise. This is particularly concerning for organizations that rely on remote graphical sessions over SSH, such as developers, system administrators, and enterprises using Linux-based infrastructure. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as proof-of-concept or weaponized exploits could emerge. The vulnerability affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability, making it a critical concern for maintaining secure and stable IT environments.

References

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