# CVE-2024-6174: Hardcoded credentials in cloud-init

> Attackers can gain root access on non-x86 platforms via a hardcoded URL if platform enumeration is enabled, requiring configuration changes to mitigate.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 26 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** ALSA-2025:10844, ALSA-2025:10848, ALSA-2025:11324, AZL-64334, AZL-64374, BELL-CVE-2024-6174, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-6174, GHSA-w8g9-wp36-fchj, OESA-2025-1783, RHSA-2025:10844, RHSA-2025:10848, RHSA-2025:10876, RHSA-2025:10879, RHSA-2025:11295, RHSA-2025:11324, RHSA-2025:11337, RHSA-2025:11339, RLSA-2025:11324, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-6174

## What is CVE-2024-6174?

CVE-2024-6174 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical cloud-init, published on 26 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

When a non-x86 platform is detected, cloud-init grants root access to a hardcoded url with a local IP address. To prevent this, cloud-init default configurations disable platform enumeration.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-6174?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `cloud-init` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 24.4-3.el10_0.2 |
| `cloud-init` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 23.4-7.el8_10.10.alma.1 |
| `cloud-init` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 24.4-4.el9_6.3.alma.1 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.0 | All versions | 0:24.4-3.el10_0.2 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:23.4-7.el8_10.10 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:24.4-4.el9_6.3 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:rhel_aus:8.6::appstream | All versions | 0:21.1-15.el8_6.4 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.6::appstream | All versions | 0:21.1-15.el8_6.4 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.8::appstream | All versions | 0:22.1-8.el8_8.2 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.0::appstream | All versions | 0:21.1-19.el9_0.7 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstream | All versions | 0:22.1-10.el9_2.1 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::appstream | All versions | 0:23.4-7.el9_4.13 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:rhel_tus:8.6::appstream | All versions | 0:21.1-15.el8_6.4 |
| `cloud-init` | Red Hat:rhel_tus:8.8::appstream | All versions | 0:22.1-8.el8_8.2 |
| `cloud-init` | Rocky Linux:8 | All versions | 0:23.4-7.el8_10.10.0.2 |

Products: Canonical Cloud-Init.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-6174?

Change a configuration setting.

## Is CVE-2024-6174 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-6174 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical cloud-init

- [CVE-2012-6639](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6639/): Privilege escalation in cloud-init (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-11584](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-11584/): Privilege escalation in cloud-init (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2023-1786](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1786/): sensitive data exposure in cloud-init logs (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2021-3429](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3429/): sensitive data exposure in cloud-init logs (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2022-2084](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2084/): sensitive data exposure in cloud-init logs (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-6174 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-6174 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical cloud-init, published on 26 Jun 2025. 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-2024-6174 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Canonical cloud-init. 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-2024-6174/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6174/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-6174
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-6174
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-6174

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6174/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.