CVE-2024-42162 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's gve (Google Virtual Ethernet) network driver component. The issue arises from improper handling of NIC (Network Interface Card) statistics when some transmit or receive queues are stopped. Specifically, the function gve_get_ethtool_stats, which is responsible for retrieving network interface statistics, does not correctly account for the possibility that the NIC may only provide stats for a subset of queues. This leads to an invalid memory access on the priv->stats_report->stats array, which is an internal data structure holding the statistics. Such an invalid access can cause kernel memory corruption, potentially leading to system instability, crashes (kernel panic), or other undefined behavior. The vulnerability is rooted in insufficient validation and boundary checking when reading NIC stats, which is critical in virtualized environments where the gve driver is commonly used. The patch resolves this by ensuring the driver properly accounts for stopped queues and only accesses valid stats entries. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. However, the vulnerability affects the Linux kernel, which is widely deployed in servers, cloud infrastructure, and embedded systems worldwide.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-42162 could be significant, especially for those relying on Linux-based infrastructure in cloud environments or data centers using Google Cloud or other platforms that utilize the gve driver. A successful exploitation could lead to denial of service due to kernel crashes, affecting availability of critical services. In multi-tenant environments, memory corruption might also be leveraged for privilege escalation or data leakage, although this is not explicitly confirmed. The disruption could impact sectors such as finance, telecommunications, government, and critical infrastructure, where Linux servers are prevalent. Given the kernel-level nature of the vulnerability, the integrity and availability of systems could be compromised, potentially leading to operational downtime and increased incident response costs. The absence of known exploits suggests a window for proactive patching before active attacks emerge.

European organizations should prioritize updating their Linux kernel versions to include the patch that addresses CVE-2024-42162 as soon as it becomes available from their Linux distribution vendors. Specifically, system administrators should monitor vendor advisories (e.g., from Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat, SUSE) for updated kernel packages containing the fix. In virtualized or cloud environments using Google Virtual Ethernet devices, validate that the gve driver is updated. Additionally, organizations should audit their network interface configurations to identify usage of the gve driver and assess exposure. Implementing kernel live patching solutions where available can reduce downtime during patch deployment. Monitoring kernel logs for unusual NIC statistics errors or kernel oops messages may help detect attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Finally, enforcing strict access controls and network segmentation can limit the impact of potential exploitation.