# CVE-2024-48991: Race condition in needrestart

> Local attackers can execute arbitrary code as root by winning a race condition to trick needrestart into using a fake Python interpreter.

- **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:** CLSA-2024-1733246466, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-48991, GHSA-4696-66c4-2gvx, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-48991, USN-7117-2

## What is CVE-2024-48991?

CVE-2024-48991 is a high-severity 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 winning a race condition and tricking needrestart into running their own, fake Python interpreter (instead of the system's real Python interpreter). The initial security fix (6ce6136) introduced a regression which was subsequently resolved (42af5d3).

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-48991?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Needrestart Project Needrestart.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-48991?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2024-48991 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-48991 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in needrestart

- [CVE-2024-11003](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-11003/): Command injection in needrestart (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2024-48990](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48990/): Code injection 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-2024-48991 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-48991 is a high-severity 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: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-48991 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2024-48991/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48991/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-48991
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-48991
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-48991

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48991/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.