Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux vmxnet3 network-driver cleanup error can leave VMware believing a failed receive buffer still exists. When network traffic later arrives, the guest kernel may panic, disrupting workloads. The supplied evidence demonstrates a crash risk; it does not demonstrate data theft or system takeover.
Executive priority
Prioritize verification and patching across VMware-hosted Linux workloads, especially systems where an unexpected guest crash would materially interrupt operations. The critical 9.8 score warrants urgency, but the provided evidence does not support declaring an active compromise campaign.
Technical view
If vmxnet3_rq_create() cannot allocate the receive data ring, cleanup leaves data_ring.desc_size nonzero. The hypervisor may subsequently reference that unusable ring during packet reception, reaching skb_put() and a kernel BUG. The cited fix sets desc_size to zero, disabling the failed ring.
Likely exposure
Most likely exposed are VMware virtual machines running Linux with vmxnet3 and an affected kernel build. The allocation must first fail, after which packet reception may reach the faulty state. The provided version metadata is ambiguous, so verify exact affected ranges through kernel or distributor advisories.
Exploitation context
The bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV, and no provided source reports active exploitation. Evidence does not establish that a remote attacker can deliberately cause the required DMA allocation failure. Confirmed impact is a guest-kernel crash path, principally an availability concern.
Researcher notes
The supplied 9.8 vector claims network attack and full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. The cited description directly demonstrates a crash path but does not establish attacker-controlled allocation failure, confidentiality loss, or integrity loss. Treat the score as source metadata rather than demonstrated exploit behavior.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory VMware Linux guests using vmxnet3 and record their exact running kernel builds.
- Update through your Linux distributor to a kernel incorporating the applicable cited stable fix.
- If immediate updating is impossible, consult distributor guidance; the bundle names no supported workaround.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether vmxnet3 is loaded and active on each VMware Linux guest.
- Map each running kernel build against distributor advisories and the cited upstream fixes.
- After updating, verify the running kernel contains the fix.
- Monitor for vmxnet3-related kernel BUG, skb_panic, or panic messages.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CVE-2024-40923 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ee14af24e67ef170108db547f7d1f701b3f2bc5CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa116ae9d169e28b692292460aed27fc44f4a017CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ffbe335b8d471f79b259e950cb20999700670456CVE reference, Linux
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.