# CVE-2024-48990: Code injection in needrestart

> Local attackers can execute arbitrary code as root by manipulating the PYTHONPATH environment variable in needrestart.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 Nov 2024
- **Updated:** 3 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2024-48990, GHSA-7c65-3hqv-hvmm, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-48990

## What is CVE-2024-48990?

CVE-2024-48990 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in needrestart, published on 19 Nov 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by tricking needrestart into running the Python interpreter with an attacker-controlled PYTHONPATH environment variable.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-48990?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Needrestart Project Needrestart.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-48990?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2024-48990 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-48990 exists.

Public exploit code:

- PoC for CVE-2024-48990 (github_poc): https://github.com/makuga01/CVE-2024-48990-PoC
- Testing POC for use cases (github_poc): https://github.com/pentestfunctions/CVE-2024-48990-PoC-Testing
- Automated local privilege escalation exploit for CVE-2024-48990 (needrestart v3.7), leveraging PYTHONPATH hijacking to gain root access. (github_poc): https://github.com/Serner77/CVE-2024-48990-Automatic-Exploit
- Exploit for CVE-2024-48990 (Local Privilege Escalation in needrestart < 3.8) (github_poc): https://github.com/ns989/CVE-2024-48990
- My exploit for CVE-2024-48990. Full details of how I made this are on my blog. (github_poc): https://github.com/ally-petitt/CVE-2024-48990-Exploit
- My take on the needrestart Python CVE-2024-48990 (github_poc): https://github.com/Cyb3rFr0g/CVE-2024-48990-PoC

## Other vulnerabilities in needrestart

- [CVE-2024-11003](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-11003/): Command injection in needrestart (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2024-48991](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48991/): Race condition in needrestart (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2024-48992](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48992/): Privilege escalation in needrestart (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-48990 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-48990 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in needrestart, published on 19 Nov 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-48990 exists.

Affected product: needrestart. 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-2024-48990/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48990/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-48990
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-48990
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-48990

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48990/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.