CVE-2024-24259 identifies a memory leak vulnerability in the freeglut library, a widely used open-source alternative to the OpenGL Utility Toolkit (GLUT) for managing OpenGL contexts and windowing in graphical applications. The vulnerability exists in the glutAddMenuEntry function, where the menuEntry variable is not properly freed, leading to a continuous increase in memory consumption each time a menu entry is added. This flaw is classified under CWE-401 (Improper Release of Memory Before Removing Last Reference) and affects freeglut versions up to and including 3.4.0. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5, indicating high severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), 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). This means an attacker can remotely trigger the memory leak without authentication or user interaction, potentially causing denial of service by exhausting system memory resources. While no public exploits are currently known, the vulnerability poses a risk to any application or system using freeglut for graphical menus, especially those that dynamically add menu entries during runtime. The absence of vendor patches at the time of publication necessitates proactive mitigation strategies. The memory leak could degrade system performance, cause application instability, or lead to crashes, impacting availability of critical graphical applications.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-24259 is on the availability of applications relying on freeglut for graphical user interfaces, such as simulation software, CAD tools, scientific visualization, or other OpenGL-based applications. Memory leaks can lead to gradual resource exhaustion, causing application slowdowns, crashes, or system instability, which may disrupt business operations, especially in industries dependent on real-time graphical processing or visualization. Although confidentiality and integrity are not directly affected, the denial of service potential can interrupt workflows and lead to operational downtime. Organizations with large-scale deployments of freeglut-based software or those integrating it into critical infrastructure may face increased risk. The lack of authentication or user interaction requirements for exploitation means that remote attackers could trigger the vulnerability without insider access, increasing the threat surface. This is particularly relevant for European sectors such as automotive, aerospace, research institutions, and software development firms that utilize OpenGL technologies extensively.

Since no official patches are currently available, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Audit and inventory all software components and applications using freeglut to identify exposure. 2) Limit or restrict network access to systems running vulnerable freeglut-based applications to reduce remote exploitation risk. 3) Implement resource monitoring and alerting for unusual memory consumption patterns in affected applications to detect exploitation attempts early. 4) Where possible, modify application code to minimize dynamic calls to glutAddMenuEntry or implement manual memory management workarounds to free menuEntry variables after use. 5) Employ containerization or sandboxing to isolate vulnerable applications and limit impact of potential crashes. 6) Stay updated with vendor announcements and apply patches immediately upon release. 7) Engage with software vendors or open-source maintainers to prioritize patch development. 8) Conduct penetration testing focused on memory leak exploitation to assess risk and validate mitigations.