# CVE-2024-0911: Indent: heap-based buffer overflow in set_buf_break()

> An attacker can cause a denial of service by tricking a user into processing a specially crafted file with the indent tool.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 6 Feb 2024
- **Updated:** 4 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-57656, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-0911, GHSA-ppj5-c4cc-c277, MGASA-2024-0122, OESA-2024-1199, SUSE-SU-2024:0965-1, SUSE-SU-2024:1134-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-0911, openSUSE-SU-2024:13700-1

## What is CVE-2024-0911?

CVE-2024-0911 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in gnu:indent, published on 6 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A flaw was found in indent, a program for formatting C code. This issue may allow an attacker to trick a user into processing a specially crafted file to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow, causing the application to crash.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-0911?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `indent` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP5 | All versions | 2.2.11-150000.3.9.1 |
| `indent` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 2.2.10-38.9.1 |
| `indent` | openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 2.2.11-150000.3.9.1 |
| `indent` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 2.2.13-3.1 |

Products: Gnu Indent.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-0911?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-0911 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-0911 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in gnu:indent

- [CVE-2023-40305](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40305/): Memory corruption in n/a (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-0911 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-0911 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in gnu:indent, published on 6 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-0911 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: gnu:indent. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-0911/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-0911/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-0911
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-0911
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-0911

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-0911/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.