CVE-2024-53142Public exploit

Unintended file creation via unterminated initramfs names

Published Dec 6, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Out-of-bounds read in Linux initramfs extraction allows attackers to create files with unintended trailing names via a malformed boot archive. The initramfs do_name() handler treats the collected filename as null-terminated and passes it to file-creation routines, so parsing continues into adjacent uninitialized memory. Exploitation requires control of the boot archive, a capability that already implies full system control; the observed consequence is unintended file naming during early boot.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds read in Linux initramfs extraction allows attackers to create files with unintended trailing names via a malformed boot archive. The initramfs do_name() handler treats the collected filename as null-terminated and passes it to file-creation routines, so parsing continues into adjacent uninitialized memory. Exploitation requires control of the boot archive, a capability that already implies full system control; the observed consequence is unintended file naming during early boot.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-53142
Published
Dec 6, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-787
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 6, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1a423bbbeaf9e3e20c4686501efd9b661fe834db
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <49d01e736c3045319e030d1e75fb983011abaca7
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6983b8ac787b3add5571cda563574932a59a99bb
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <bb7ac96670ab1d8d681015f9d66e45dad579af4d
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <c509b1acbd867d9e09580fe059a924cb5825afb1
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d3df9f26cff97beaa5643e551031795d5d5cddbe
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e017671f534dd3f568db9e47b0583e853d2da9b5
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f892ddcf9f645380c358e73653cb0900f6bc9eb8
  9. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fb83b093f75806333b6f4ae29b158d2e0e3ec971
  10. Affected versionversion=2.6.12

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1a423bbbeaf9e3e20c4686501efd9b661fe834db; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <49d01e736c3045319e030d1e75fb983011abaca7; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6983b8ac787b3add5571cda563574932a59a99bb; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <bb7ac96670ab1d8d681015f9d66e45dad579af4d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <c509b1acbd867d9e09580fe059a924cb5825afb1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d3df9f26cff97beaa5643e551031795d5d5cddbe; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e017671f534dd3f568db9e47b0583e853d2da9b5; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f892ddcf9f645380c358e73653cb0900f6bc9eb8; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fb83b093f75806333b6f4ae29b158d2e0e3ec971; version=2.6.12

Published CVSS scores

6.7Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

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