# CVE-2024-38538: net: bridge: xmit: make sure we have at least eth header len bytes

> An attacker can trigger an uninitialized value error in the Linux kernel bridge transmit path by sending short packets, potentially leaking memory contents.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Jun 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-48297, BELL-CVE-2024-38538, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-38538, GHSA-46q5-wp2g-gv63, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-38538

## What is CVE-2024-38538?

CVE-2024-38538 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jun 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: bridge: xmit: make sure we have at least eth header len bytes

syzbot triggered an uninit value[1] error in bridge device's xmit path
by sending a short (less than ETH_HLEN bytes) skb. To fix it check if
we can actually pull that amount instead of assuming.

Tested with dropwatch:
 drop at: br_dev_xmit+0xb93/0x12d0 [bridge] (0xffffffffc06739b3)
 origin: software
 timestamp: Mon May 13 11:31:53 2024 778214037 nsec
 protocol: 0x88a8
 length: 2
 original length: 2
 drop reason: PKT_TOO_SMALL

[1]
BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in br_dev_xmit+0x61d/0x1cb0 net/bridge/br_device.c:65
 br_dev_xmit+0x61d/0x1cb0 net/bridge/br_device.c:65
 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4903 [inline]
 netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4917 [inline]
 xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3531 [inline]
 dev_hard_start_xmit+0x247/0xa20 net/core/dev.c:3547
 __dev_queue_xmit+0x34db/0x5350 net/core/dev.c:4341
 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3091 [inline]
 __bpf_tx_skb net/core/filter.c:2136 [inline]
 __bpf_redirect_common net/core/filter.c:2180 [inline]
 __bpf_redirect+0x14a6/0x1620 net/core/filter.c:2187
 ____bpf_clone_redirect net/core/filter.c:2460 [inline]
 bpf_clone_redirect+0x328/0x470 net/core/filter.c:2432
 ___bpf_prog_run+0x13fe/0xe0f0 kernel/bpf/core.c:1997
 __bpf_prog_run512+0xb5/0xe0 kernel/bpf/core.c:2238
 bpf_dispatcher_nop_func include/linux/bpf.h:1234 [inline]
 __bpf_prog_run include/linux/filter.h:657 [inline]
 bpf_prog_run include/linux/filter.h:664 [inline]
 bpf_test_run+0x499/0xc30 net/bpf/test_run.c:425
 bpf_prog_test_run_skb+0x14ea/0x1f20 net/bpf/test_run.c:1058
 bpf_prog_test_run+0x6b7/0xad0 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:4269
 __sys_bpf+0x6aa/0xd90 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5678
 __do_sys_bpf kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5767 [inline]
 __se_sys_bpf kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5765 [inline]
 __x64_sys_bpf+0xa0/0xe0 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5765
 x64_sys_call+0x96b/0x3b50 arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_64.h:322
 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline]
 do_syscall_64+0xcf/0x1e0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f

Weakness: CWE-908 (Use of Uninitialized Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-38538?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-38538?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-38538 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38538 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-38538 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-38538 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jun 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38538 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2024-38538/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38538/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38538
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38538
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38538

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38538/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.