CVE-2024-0646 is a kernel vulnerability affecting the ktls (Kernel Transport Layer Security) feature in Linux. When the splice function is used with a ktls socket as the destination, it overwrites readonly memory pages, which is a memory corruption issue classified under CWE-787. Red Hat has released a kpatch live patch update for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 and its Extended Update Support and Extended Life Cycle variants to address this vulnerability. The patch modifies the running kernel code dynamically to prevent the ktls overwrite issue. No CVSS score is provided, but the vendor rates the update as Important.

The vulnerability allows overwriting of readonly memory pages in the kernel when using ktls sockets with the splice function. This could lead to kernel memory corruption, potentially causing system instability or enabling privilege escalation. The vendor rates the impact as Important (high severity). There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of the advisory.

Red Hat has released official kpatch live patch updates for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 and its Extended Update Support and Extended Life Cycle variants. Applying these kpatch updates will remediate the vulnerability without requiring a system reboot. Users should follow Red Hat's guidance at https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258 to apply the updates promptly. Patch status is confirmed as available via these kpatch updates.