CVE-2024-0841 is a vulnerability identified in the hugetlbfs_fill_super function of the Linux kernel's HugeTLB pages (hugetlbfs) subsystem, specifically impacting Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. The flaw is a null pointer dereference, which occurs when the kernel attempts to access memory through a pointer that is null, leading to a system crash or kernel panic. This vulnerability can be triggered by a local user with low privileges, without requiring any user interaction, making it a local attack vector. The primary impact is a denial of service (system crash), but there is also a potential for privilege escalation, allowing an attacker to gain higher system privileges than intended. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.6, indicating a medium severity level, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), low privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and impacts on confidentiality (C:L), integrity (I:L), and high impact on availability (A:H). No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, but the vulnerability poses a risk to system stability and security. The vulnerability affects systems using the hugetlbfs feature, which is commonly used in high-performance computing and applications requiring large memory pages. The flaw was reserved on January 23, 2024, and published on January 28, 2024. No patches or exploit indicators are currently listed, but Red Hat is the vendor responsible for issuing fixes.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-0841 can be significant, especially for those relying on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 in production environments. The vulnerability can cause system crashes, leading to denial of service, which may disrupt critical business operations, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and government services. The potential for privilege escalation increases the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data and system controls, threatening confidentiality and integrity. Organizations with multi-user environments or those providing shared services are at higher risk since local users with limited privileges could exploit this flaw. The downtime caused by crashes can result in financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory compliance issues under frameworks like GDPR if data integrity or availability is compromised. Since hugetlbfs is often used in performance-sensitive applications, the vulnerability may also affect high-performance computing clusters and virtualized environments common in European research institutions and enterprises.

To mitigate CVE-2024-0841, European organizations should: 1) Monitor Red Hat advisories closely and apply official kernel patches as soon as they become available to address the null pointer dereference. 2) Restrict local user access to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of exploitation by unprivileged users. 3) Implement strict access controls and user privilege management to limit the ability of low-privilege users to interact with hugetlbfs or related kernel interfaces. 4) Employ system integrity monitoring and intrusion detection systems to detect unusual kernel crashes or privilege escalation attempts. 5) Regularly audit and update system configurations to disable unused kernel features such as hugetlbfs if not required by applications. 6) Maintain robust backup and recovery procedures to minimize downtime impact in case of exploitation. 7) Educate system administrators and security teams about the vulnerability and signs of exploitation to enable rapid response.