CVE-2024-36883: 
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2024-36883 is a vulnerability discovered in the Linux kernel's networking subsystem, specifically in the net_alloc_generic function. The vulnerability was disclosed on May 30, 2024. It affects the Linux kernel's networking component, where an out-of-bounds access can occur in ops_init (NVD).

The vulnerability occurs when net_alloc_generic is called by net_alloc without any locking. The function reads max_gen_ptrs twice, which is changed under pernet_ops_rwsem - first to allocate an array, then to set s.len. This creates a race condition where the array is allocated and another thread registering a new pernet ops can increment max_gen_ptrs, resulting in s.len being set with a larger than allocated length for the variable array (Kernel Git).

The vulnerability could lead to disclosure of sensitive information, addition or modification of data, or Denial of Service (DoS). It has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.0 (HIGH) with the vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (NetApp Advisory).

The vulnerability requires local access and high complexity to exploit. NetApp has acknowledged public discussion of this vulnerability, though no specific instances of exploitation in the wild have been reported (NetApp Advisory).

The fix involves reading max_gen_ptrs only once in net_alloc_generic using READ_ONCE, and using WRITE_ONCE when updating max_gen_ptrs in register_pernet_operations. If max_gen_ptrs is later incremented, it will be caught in net_assign_generic (Kernel Git).