CVE-2024-3094 xz backdoor: Xz: malicious code in distributed source
Attackers can execute arbitrary code and bypass security controls via malicious code injected into the xz compression library during the build process.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2024-3094?
CVE-2024-3094 (xz backdoor) is a critical vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, published on 29 Mar 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Malicious code was discovered in the upstream tarballs of xz, starting with version 5.6.0. Through a series of complex obfuscations, the liblzma build process extracts a prebuilt object file from a disguised test file existing in the source code, which is then used to modify specific functions in the liblzma code. This results in a modified liblzma library that can be used by any software linked against this library, intercepting and modifying the data interaction with this library.
Weakness: CWE-506
Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-3094?
It affects 1 product.
Linux distribution packages (1)
xz openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 5.6.2-1.1 |
Products include Tukaani Xz.
How do I fix CVE-2024-3094?
Upgrade to a fixed version.
Is CVE-2024-3094 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-3094 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Public exploit code: 86 proofs of concept on GitHub.
Other vulnerabilities in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Sources
Also known as ALPINE-CVE-2024-3094, BELL-CVE-2024-3094, CLEANSTART-2025-NL28578, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-3094, GHSA-rxwq-x6h5-x525, JLSEC-2026-62 and 1 more.