CVE-2024-23301 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Relax-and-Recover (ReaR) versions up to 2.7. The issue arises when the configuration option GRUB_RESCUE=y is enabled, causing the initrd (initial RAM disk) image to be created with world-readable permissions. The initrd contains sensitive system information and secrets that are normally only accessible by the root user. Because the initrd is world-readable, any local user on the system can read these secrets, potentially exposing critical credentials or configuration data that could be leveraged for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the affected system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions), indicating a failure to properly restrict access to sensitive files. Exploitation requires local access with at least low privileges (local attacker with limited privileges), but no user interaction is needed once access is obtained. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting the medium impact primarily on confidentiality, with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no vendor or product-specific details are provided, but the vulnerability is tied to the ReaR disaster recovery tool, which is commonly used in Linux environments for system backup and recovery.

For European organizations, the exposure of system secrets through this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information such as encryption keys, passwords, or configuration files stored within the initrd. This could facilitate privilege escalation attacks, allowing attackers to gain root-level access or move laterally within the network. Organizations relying on ReaR for disaster recovery in critical infrastructure, government, finance, healthcare, or industrial control systems could face increased risk of data breaches or operational disruptions. Since the vulnerability requires local access, the threat is more pronounced in environments where multiple users have access to the same systems or where attackers can gain initial footholds through other means (e.g., phishing, compromised credentials). The confidentiality breach could undermine compliance with European data protection regulations such as GDPR, especially if the leaked secrets enable further compromise of personal or sensitive data.

To mitigate CVE-2024-23301, organizations should first verify if they are using Relax-and-Recover (ReaR) version 2.7 or earlier with the GRUB_RESCUE=y option enabled. If so, immediate steps include: 1) Restricting local user access to systems running ReaR to trusted personnel only. 2) Manually checking and correcting the permissions of the initrd file to ensure it is not world-readable (e.g., chmod 600 or more restrictive). 3) Reviewing and updating ReaR configurations to avoid enabling GRUB_RESCUE=y unless absolutely necessary. 4) Monitoring local user activities and audit logs for suspicious access patterns. 5) Applying any patches or updates from the ReaR project once available. 6) Implementing strict access controls and user privilege management to minimize the number of users with local access. 7) Using file integrity monitoring tools to detect unauthorized changes to initrd or related files. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on configuration auditing, permission hardening, and operational controls specific to this vulnerability.