CVE-2024-28084 is a vulnerability identified in the iNet wireless daemon (IWD), a Linux wireless management service used to handle Wi-Fi connections. The flaw exists in the p2putil.c component of IWD versions through 2.15, where improper initialization occurs when parsing advertised service information. This parsing failure can cause the daemon to crash, leading to a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability stems from CWE-665 (Improper Initialization), which can cause unstable behavior or crashes when unexpected or malformed data is processed. Exploitation requires no authentication or user interaction and can be triggered remotely by sending crafted advertised service information to the affected daemon. While the primary confirmed impact is a DoS via daemon crash, the advisory notes the possibility of other unspecified impacts, which could include memory corruption or further instability, though these are not confirmed. No patches or exploit code are currently publicly available, and no active exploitation has been reported. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, no confidentiality or integrity impact, and high availability impact. This vulnerability could disrupt wireless connectivity on affected Linux systems, impacting network availability and potentially causing service interruptions in environments relying on IWD for Wi-Fi management.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-28084 is the potential denial of service on wireless network management systems using IWD. This can lead to loss of wireless connectivity, impacting business operations, especially in environments heavily dependent on Wi-Fi such as offices, industrial sites, and public service facilities. Critical infrastructure sectors like healthcare, transportation, and government services that utilize Linux-based wireless management could experience outages or degraded network performance. Although no confidentiality or integrity impacts are confirmed, the availability disruption alone can cause significant operational and financial consequences. The lack of authentication and user interaction requirements means attackers can remotely trigger the vulnerability, increasing the risk of widespread exploitation if weaponized. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk, but organizations should remain vigilant. The impact is more pronounced in organizations with large-scale deployments of Linux systems using IWD, particularly those without robust network segmentation or monitoring of wireless management traffic.

To mitigate CVE-2024-28084, organizations should first identify all systems running iNet wireless daemon (IWD) version 2.15 or earlier. Since no patches are currently available, organizations should monitor vendor advisories for updates or security patches addressing this vulnerability. In the interim, consider applying the following mitigations: restrict network access to the wireless management interfaces to trusted hosts only, using firewall rules or network segmentation to limit exposure to untrusted networks; implement intrusion detection or anomaly detection systems to monitor for unusual or malformed advertised service information traffic; disable or replace IWD with alternative wireless management solutions if feasible; ensure robust logging and alerting on wireless daemon crashes or restarts to enable rapid detection and response; and maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to minimize operational impact from potential DoS events. Once patches are released, prioritize timely deployment across all affected systems. Additionally, educate network administrators about this vulnerability and the importance of monitoring wireless service stability.