CVE-2024-24262 is a Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability identified in media-server version 1.0.0, specifically within the sip_uac_stop_timer function located in the /uac/sip-uac-transaction.c source file. A Use-After-Free vulnerability occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed, potentially leading to undefined behavior such as crashes, memory corruption, or arbitrary code execution. In this case, the vulnerability affects the SIP User Agent Client (UAC) transaction handling, which is critical for managing SIP sessions in media servers. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity level. The vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H indicates that the vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without requiring privileges or user interaction, and it impacts availability only, with no confidentiality or integrity loss. The vulnerability does not have any known exploits in the wild as of the published date (February 5, 2024), and no patches or vendor information are currently available. The CWE classification is CWE-416, which corresponds to Use-After-Free errors. Given the nature of the vulnerability, an attacker could potentially cause a denial of service (DoS) by crashing the media server or destabilizing its operation, which could disrupt SIP-based communication services relying on this media server software.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be significant, especially for those relying on media-server 1.0.0 or similar SIP-based communication infrastructure for VoIP, video conferencing, or unified communications. A successful exploitation could lead to denial of service, resulting in communication outages, loss of availability of critical telephony or conferencing services, and potential operational disruptions. This could affect sectors such as telecommunications providers, enterprises with internal VoIP systems, emergency services, and any organization dependent on real-time communication platforms. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or integrity, the loss of availability could have cascading effects on business continuity and service reliability. Additionally, disruption in communication services could impact customer support, remote work capabilities, and coordination during critical events.

Given the absence of an official patch or vendor guidance, European organizations should take proactive steps to mitigate risk. First, identify and inventory all instances of media-server 1.0.0 or related SIP media servers in their environment. Where possible, isolate these servers from untrusted networks to reduce exposure. Implement network-level protections such as firewall rules and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to detect and block suspicious SIP traffic patterns that might trigger the vulnerability. Employ rate limiting on SIP requests to prevent flooding or triggering the vulnerable function repeatedly. Monitor system logs and network traffic for anomalies or crashes related to SIP transactions. If feasible, consider deploying alternative or updated media server solutions that do not contain this vulnerability. Additionally, prepare incident response plans to quickly recover from potential denial of service events. Engage with vendors or open-source communities for updates or patches and apply them promptly once available.