# CVE-2024-42098: crypto: ecdh - explicitly zeroize private_key

> An attacker with local access could potentially read residual private key material from memory due to incomplete zeroization in the Linux kernel ECDH implementation.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 29 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-42098, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-42098, GHSA-4794-rjc7-hpw2, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2024-42098, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-42098

## What is CVE-2024-42098?

CVE-2024-42098 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 29 Jul 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:

crypto: ecdh - explicitly zeroize private_key

private_key is overwritten with the key parameter passed in by the
caller (if present), or alternatively a newly generated private key.
However, it is possible that the caller provides a key (or the newly
generated key) which is shorter than the previous key. In that
scenario, some key material from the previous key would not be
overwritten. The easiest solution is to explicitly zeroize the entire
private_key array first.

Note that this patch slightly changes the behavior of this function:
previously, if the ecc_gen_privkey failed, the old private_key would
remain. Now, the private_key is always zeroized. This behavior is
consistent with the case where params.key is set and ecc_is_key_valid
fails.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-42098?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-42098?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-42098 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-42098 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-2024-42098 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-42098 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 29 Jul 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-2024-42098 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-2024-42098/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-42098/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-42098
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-42098
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-42098

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-42098/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.