CVE-2024-34046 identifies a vulnerability in the O-RAN E2T I-Release software, specifically in the Prometheus metric Increment function implemented in the sctpThread.cpp file. The issue arises when the function attempts to increment a counter through a complex pointer chain: message.peerInfo->sctpParams->e2tCounters[IN_SUCC][MSG_COUNTER][ProcedureCode_id_RICsubscription]->Increment(). This pointer dereferencing can lead to a crash, likely due to improper resource management or a null pointer dereference, categorized under CWE-770 (Use of a Resource After Release). The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity but causes a denial of service by crashing the process handling SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol) messages. The CVSS 3.1 vector (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 any privileges or user interaction, and the scope remains unchanged. No patches or fixes have been released at the time of publication, and no active exploitation has been observed. Given the role of O-RAN E2T in open radio access networks, this vulnerability could disrupt telecom infrastructure components that rely on these metrics for monitoring and control, potentially impacting network availability and reliability.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-34046 is a denial of service condition caused by a crash in the O-RAN E2T metric increment function. This can lead to service interruptions in telecom environments that utilize O-RAN E2T I-Release implementations, affecting network monitoring and potentially the control plane operations dependent on SCTP communications. Since the vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity, data breaches or unauthorized data manipulation are unlikely. However, the availability impact can be significant, especially in telecom operators and vendors relying on O-RAN components for 5G and future network deployments. Disruptions could affect end-user connectivity, degrade network performance, and complicate network management. The ease of remote exploitation without authentication increases the risk of automated attacks or scanning by malicious actors. Organizations with critical infrastructure relying on O-RAN standards may face operational risks and reputational damage if exploited.

To mitigate CVE-2024-34046, organizations should first monitor vendor advisories for patches or updates addressing the pointer dereference issue in the O-RAN E2T software. In the absence of patches, applying network-level protections such as filtering or rate limiting SCTP traffic to and from O-RAN E2T components can reduce exposure. Implementing robust monitoring for abnormal process crashes or service interruptions related to O-RAN E2T metrics can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. Network segmentation to isolate O-RAN E2T systems from untrusted networks will limit attack surface. Additionally, conducting thorough code reviews and static analysis on the affected source files (e.g., sctpThread.cpp) can help identify and remediate similar resource management issues proactively. Telecom operators should engage with O-RAN Alliance and vendors to prioritize secure coding practices and timely vulnerability disclosures. Finally, maintaining up-to-date incident response plans tailored to telecom infrastructure will improve resilience against denial of service attacks.