CVE-2024-23849 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel, specifically within the rds_recv_track_latency function located in the net/rds/af_rds.c source file. This vulnerability is characterized as an off-by-one error related to the comparison against RDS_MSG_RX_DGRAM_TRACE_MAX, which leads to an out-of-bounds memory access. The RDS (Reliable Datagram Sockets) protocol is used for efficient data transport in clustered environments, often in high-performance computing and data center contexts. The off-by-one error means that the code incorrectly handles boundary conditions when processing received datagram trace messages, potentially accessing memory just beyond the allocated buffer. While this vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity directly, it affects availability by potentially causing a denial of service (DoS) through kernel crashes or system instability. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 reflects a medium severity, with the vector indicating that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no confidentiality or integrity impact (C:N/I:N), but high impact on availability (A:H). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or vendor-specific details are provided yet. The vulnerability affects Linux kernel versions up to 6.7.1, which is widely used across many distributions and enterprise environments. Given the local privilege requirement, exploitation would typically require an attacker to have some level of access to the target system, such as through a compromised user account or insider threat. The vulnerability falls under CWE-193 (Off-by-one Error), a common programming flaw that can lead to memory corruption issues.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-23849 is the risk of denial of service on Linux-based systems that utilize the RDS protocol, particularly in clustered or high-performance computing environments. This could disrupt critical services, including database clusters, distributed file systems, or other applications relying on RDS for communication. Organizations in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, research institutions, and cloud service providers that deploy Linux kernels with RDS enabled may experience system crashes or instability, leading to downtime and potential operational losses. Since the vulnerability requires local access with some privileges, the risk is heightened in environments where internal threat actors or compromised user accounts exist. The lack of confidentiality or integrity impact reduces the risk of data breaches but does not eliminate the operational risk. European organizations with strict uptime requirements and regulatory obligations around service availability (e.g., financial institutions under PSD2 or critical infrastructure operators under NIS2 Directive) may face compliance challenges if this vulnerability is exploited to cause outages.

To mitigate CVE-2024-23849, European organizations should: 1) Monitor Linux kernel updates closely and apply patches as soon as they become available from trusted sources or distribution maintainers, especially for kernels up to version 6.7.1. 2) Audit and restrict local user privileges to minimize the number of accounts capable of triggering this vulnerability. Implement strict access controls and use the principle of least privilege. 3) Disable the RDS protocol if it is not required in the environment, as this will eliminate the attack surface related to this vulnerability. 4) Employ kernel hardening techniques such as kernel address space layout randomization (KASLR) and memory protection mechanisms to reduce the impact of out-of-bounds memory access. 5) Monitor system logs and kernel messages for signs of crashes or unusual behavior related to RDS traffic. 6) Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect suspicious local activity that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7) For environments where RDS is essential, consider isolating affected systems in segmented network zones to limit potential impact.