# CVE-2024-38659: enic: Validate length of nl attributes in enic_set_vf_port

> A missing length validation in the enic driver allows out-of-bounds reads, potentially leading to information disclosure or system crashes.

- **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:** 21 Jun 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-38659, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-38659, GHSA-5h94-mxhc-fgxw, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-38659

## What is CVE-2024-38659?

CVE-2024-38659 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 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:

enic: Validate length of nl attributes in enic_set_vf_port

enic_set_vf_port assumes that the nl attribute IFLA_PORT_PROFILE
is of length PORT_PROFILE_MAX and that the nl attributes
IFLA_PORT_INSTANCE_UUID, IFLA_PORT_HOST_UUID are of length PORT_UUID_MAX.
These attributes are validated (in the function do_setlink in rtnetlink.c)
using the nla_policy ifla_port_policy. The policy defines IFLA_PORT_PROFILE
as NLA_STRING, IFLA_PORT_INSTANCE_UUID as NLA_BINARY and
IFLA_PORT_HOST_UUID as NLA_STRING. That means that the length validation
using the policy is for the max size of the attributes and not on exact
size so the length of these attributes might be less than the sizes that
enic_set_vf_port expects. This might cause an out of bands
read access in the memcpys of the data of these
attributes in enic_set_vf_port.

Weakness: CWE-1284 (Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in Input)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-38659?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-38659?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-38659 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38659 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-2024-38659 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-38659 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 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-2024-38659 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-2024-38659/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38659/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38659
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38659
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38659

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38659/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.