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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2024-38538: Linux kernel · net: bridge: xmit: make sure we have at least eth header len bytes

Source GCVE Database

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 00:36 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.1High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 19 Jun 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponized: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.

What to do

AI-suggested

A fix for this vulnerability has been implemented in the Linux kernel by adding checks to ensure the skb length is at least the Ethernet header length before processing. Users should apply the official kernel updates that include this fix. Since this is not a cloud service, manual patching is required. Patch status is not explicitly stated in the input, so users should consult the vendor advisory or Linux kernel mailing lists for the fixed kernel versions and apply updates accordingly.

Description

CVE-2024-38538 is a high-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel's network bridge transmit path. It involves improper handling of short packets smaller than the Ethernet header length (ETH_HLEN), which could lead to use of uninitialized memory values. The issue was identified by syzbot and fixed by adding a check to ensure sufficient packet length before processing. This vulnerability affects local attackers with low privileges and can cause denial of service due to kernel memory errors.

References

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