# 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.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 29 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2026
- **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, openSUSE-SU-2024:14017-1

## 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 (Embedded Malicious Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-3094?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `xz` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 5.6.2-1.1 |

Products: 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:

- notes, honeypot, and exploit demo for the xz backdoor (CVE-2024-3094) (github_poc): https://github.com/amlweems/xzbot
- An ssh honeypot with the XZ backdoor. CVE-2024-3094 (github_poc): https://github.com/lockness-Ko/xz-vulnerable-honeypot
- Quick and dirty PoC for checking whether a vulnerable version of xz-utils is installed (CVE-2024-3094) (github_poc): https://github.com/FabioBaroni/CVE-2024-3094-checker
- GNU IFUNC is the real culprit behind CVE-2024-3094 (github_poc): https://github.com/robertdfrench/ifuncd-up
- Information for CVE-2024-3094 (github_poc): https://github.com/byinarie/CVE-2024-3094-info
- https://github.com/jfrog/cve-2024-3094-tools (github_poc): https://github.com/jfrog/cve-2024-3094-tools

## Other vulnerabilities in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10

- [CVE-2015-4035](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4035/): Command injection in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2020-22916](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-22916/): Denial of service in n/a (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2026-34743](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34743/): XZ Utils: Buffer overflow in lzma_index_append() (low 1.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-3094 (xz backdoor) and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-3094 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. 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-2024-3094/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3094/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-3094
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-3094
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-3094

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3094/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.