CVE-2024-57257

Bootloader crash via unbounded symlink recursion

Published Feb 18, 2025 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Stack exhaustion in U-Boot before 2025.01-rc1 allows physically proximate attackers to crash the bootloader via crafted SquashFS data. The SquashFS driver follows nested symbolic links and recursively calls sqfs_size without limiting depth, consuming the bootloader stack. Access to modify filesystem data structures is required, and exhaustion of the finite stack interrupts the boot process.

CVSS severity2.0
Low
EPSS probability0.32%
Next 30 days · Sep 17, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Stack exhaustion in U-Boot before 2025.01-rc1 allows physically proximate attackers to crash the bootloader via crafted SquashFS data. The SquashFS driver follows nested symbolic links and recursively calls sqfs_size without limiting depth, consuming the bootloader stack. Access to modify filesystem data structures is required, and exhaustion of the finite stack interrupts the boot process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-57257
Published
Feb 18, 2025
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
DENX Software Engineering GmbH
Product
U-Boot
Classifications
CWE-674, T1499.004
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <2025.01-rc1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

DENX Software Engineering GmbH · U-Bootversion=0 <2025.01-rc1

Published CVSS scores

2.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
2.0MITRECVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-674Uncontrolled Recursion
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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