CVE-2024-2494 is a vulnerability identified in the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) library APIs of libvirt version 9.0.0, a widely used virtualization management tool. The flaw arises because the RPC server deserialization code allocates memory for arrays using the g_new0 function before performing a non-negative length check on the input parameter. Specifically, if a negative length value is passed, it is interpreted as a very large unsigned integer due to integer underflow, causing the system to allocate an excessive amount of memory. This leads to a crash of the libvirt daemon, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability can be triggered by a local, unprivileged user without requiring authentication or user interaction, making it relatively easy to exploit in environments where local access is possible. The impact is limited to availability, as there is no indication that confidentiality or integrity can be compromised. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.2, reflecting medium severity primarily due to the local access requirement and lack of confidentiality or integrity impact. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The flaw is particularly relevant for organizations relying on libvirt for virtualization management, as a crash of the daemon can disrupt virtual machine operations and associated services. The root cause is improper input validation and memory allocation sequencing in the RPC deserialization logic, highlighting the importance of validating input parameters before resource allocation. Remediation involves updating libvirt to a version where this issue is fixed or implementing input validation checks to prevent negative length values from reaching the memory allocation function.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-2494 is a denial of service condition affecting virtualization infrastructure managed by libvirt 9.0.0. This can lead to unexpected crashes of the libvirt daemon, causing disruption or downtime of virtual machines and dependent services. Organizations heavily reliant on virtualization for cloud services, hosting, or internal IT infrastructure may experience operational interruptions, potentially affecting business continuity. While the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or allow privilege escalation, the availability impact can be significant in environments where high uptime is critical. The local access requirement limits remote exploitation, but insider threats or compromised local accounts could leverage this flaw. European data centers and cloud providers using libvirt could face service degradation or outages, impacting customers and internal users. The medium severity rating suggests that while the threat is not critical, timely mitigation is necessary to maintain stable virtualization environments. Additionally, disruption in virtualized environments could indirectly affect compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) and regulatory requirements related to availability.

To mitigate CVE-2024-2494, European organizations should prioritize upgrading libvirt to a patched version that addresses the memory allocation flaw. If an immediate upgrade is not feasible, implement input validation controls to ensure that length parameters passed to RPC APIs are non-negative before memory allocation occurs. Restrict local access to systems running libvirt to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of exploitation by unprivileged users. Employ host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to monitor for unusual crashes or daemon restarts indicative of exploitation attempts. Regularly audit and harden virtualization hosts to reduce the attack surface, including applying the principle of least privilege for local users. Additionally, maintain robust backup and recovery procedures for virtual machines to minimize downtime in case of service disruption. Monitoring libvirt daemon logs for anomalies can provide early warning of exploitation attempts. Finally, coordinate with vendors and subscribe to security advisories to receive timely updates and patches.