Rustix CVE-2024-43806
MEDIUMSeverity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Primary rating from Vendor (github) · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorVendor: github
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
1DescriptionCVE.org
Rustix is a set of safe Rust bindings to POSIX-ish APIs. When using rustix::fs::Dir using the linux_raw backend, it's possible for the iterator to "get stuck" when an IO error is encountered. Combined with a memory over-allocation issue in rustix::fs::Dir::read_more, this can cause quick and unbounded memory explosion (gigabytes in a few seconds if used on a hot path) and eventually lead to an OOM crash of the application. The symptoms were initially discovered in https://github.com/imsnif/bandwhich/issues/284. That post has lots of details of our investigation. Full details can be read on the GHSA-c827-hfw6-qwvm repo advisory. If a program tries to access a directory with its file descriptor after the file has been unlinked (or any other action that leaves the Dir iterator in the stuck state), and the implementation does not break after seeing an error, it can cause a memory explosion. As an example, Linux's various virtual file systems (e.g. /proc, /sys) can contain directories that spontaneously pop in and out of existence. Attempting to iterate over them using rustix::fs::Dir directly or indirectly (e.g. with the procfs crate) can trigger this fault condition if the implementation decides to continue on errors. An attacker knowledgeable about the implementation details of a vulnerable target can therefore try to trigger this fault condition via any one or a combination of several available APIs. If successful, the application host will quickly run out of memory, after which the application will likely be terminated by an OOM killer, leading to denial of service. This issue has been addressed in release versions 0.35.15, 0.36.16, 0.37.25, and 0.38.19. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.
AnalysisAI
Rustix is a set of safe Rust bindings to POSIX-ish APIs. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Technical ContextAI
This vulnerability is classified as Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CWE-400), which allows attackers to cause denial of service by exhausting system resources. Rustix is a set of safe Rust bindings to POSIX-ish APIs. When using rustix::fs::Dir using the linux_raw backend, it's possible for the iterator to "get stuck" when an IO error is encountered. Combined with a memory over-allocation issue in rustix::fs::Dir::read_more, this can cause quick and unbounded memory explosion (gigabytes in a few seconds if used on a hot path) and eventually lead to an OOM crash of the application. The symptoms were initially discovered in https://github.com/imsnif/bandwhich/issues/284. That post has lots of details of our investigation. Full details can be read on the GHSA-c827-hfw6-qwvm repo advisory. If a program tries to access a directory with its file descriptor after the file has been unlinked (or any other action that leaves the Dir iterator in the stuck state), and the implementation does not break after seeing an error, it can cause a memory explosion. As an example, Linux's various virtual file systems (e.g. /proc, /sys) can contain directories that spontaneously pop in and out of existence. Attempting to iterate over them using rustix::fs::Dir directly or indirectly (e.g. with the procfs crate) can trigger this fault condition if the implementation decides to continue on errors. An attacker knowledgeable about the implementation details of a vulnerable target can therefore try to trigger this fault condition via any one or a combination of several available APIs. If successful, the application host will quickly run out of memory, after which the application will likely be terminated by an OOM killer, leading to denial of service. This issue has been addressed in release versions 0.35.15, 0.36.16, 0.37.25, and 0.38.19. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.
Affected ProductsAI
See vendor advisory for affected versions.
RemediationAI
No vendor patch is available at time of analysis. Monitor vendor advisories for updates. Implement rate limiting, set resource quotas, validate input sizes, use timeouts.
Same weakness CWE-400 – Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
View allSame technique Denial Of Service
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today