CVE-2024-45616: Use of Uninitialized Variable
A vulnerability was found in OpenSC, OpenSC tools, PKCS#11 module, minidriver, and CTK. An attacker could use a crafted USB Device or Smart Card, which would present the system with a specially crafted response to APDUs. The following problems were caused by insufficient control of the response APDU buffer and its length when communicating with the card.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability affects OpenSC, OpenSC tools, PKCS#11 module, minidriver, and CTK. It is caused by improper handling of the response APDU buffer and its length, leading to the use of an uninitialized variable. An attacker could exploit this by presenting a specially crafted USB device or smart card that sends manipulated APDU responses. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 3.9 (low), reflecting low impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability requires physical access (attack vector: physical) and high attack complexity, with no privileges or user interaction needed.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability could lead to limited information disclosure, integrity alteration, or availability issues due to the use of uninitialized variables in processing APDU responses from maliciously crafted smart cards or USB devices. The impact is low as per CVSS scoring, and exploitation requires physical access and a high level of attack complexity.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or fix is explicitly stated in the provided advisory content. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2024-45616 for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, avoid using untrusted or unknown USB devices or smart cards with affected OpenSC components.
CVE-2024-45616: Use of Uninitialized Variable
Description
A vulnerability was found in OpenSC, OpenSC tools, PKCS#11 module, minidriver, and CTK. An attacker could use a crafted USB Device or Smart Card, which would present the system with a specially crafted response to APDUs. The following problems were caused by insufficient control of the response APDU buffer and its length when communicating with the card.
CVSS v3.1
Score 3.9low
Affected software
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability affects OpenSC, OpenSC tools, PKCS#11 module, minidriver, and CTK. It is caused by improper handling of the response APDU buffer and its length, leading to the use of an uninitialized variable. An attacker could exploit this by presenting a specially crafted USB device or smart card that sends manipulated APDU responses. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 3.9 (low), reflecting low impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability requires physical access (attack vector: physical) and high attack complexity, with no privileges or user interaction needed.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability could lead to limited information disclosure, integrity alteration, or availability issues due to the use of uninitialized variables in processing APDU responses from maliciously crafted smart cards or USB devices. The impact is low as per CVSS scoring, and exploitation requires physical access and a high level of attack complexity.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or fix is explicitly stated in the provided advisory content. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2024-45616 for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, avoid using untrusted or unknown USB devices or smart cards with affected OpenSC components.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- redhat
- Date Reserved
- 2024-09-02T18:28:35.895Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2024-45616","vendor":"Red Hat"}]
Threat ID: 69092b7635043901e828b297
Added to database: 11/03/2025, 22:23:50 UTC
Last enriched: 07/02/2026, 22:00:43 UTC
Last updated: 07/03/2026, 22:11:56 UTC
Views: 153
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