Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux Realtek network driver may let RTL8125 hardware write statistics beyond an allocated memory buffer. That can corrupt kernel memory, potentially affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitation requires local, low-privileged access according to the supplied CVSS assessment, so this is serious but not inherently an internet-facing flaw.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority kernel maintenance issue on confirmed RTL8125/r8169 systems, particularly multi-user hosts and appliances. Local access requirements reduce immediate internet-driven urgency, but kernel-memory corruption justifies prompt remediation. Deprioritize only after confirming the affected driver and hardware are absent.
Technical view
The r8169 driver allocated a tally-counter buffer too small for fields introduced with RTL8125. The device could DMA the additional counters into adjacent, unallocated memory. The kernel fix enlarges the allocation to accommodate every counter field, even though the driver uses only some fields.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Linux systems using the r8169 driver with RTL8125-class hardware and a kernel lacking the relevant stable fix. The bundle's flattened version list is ambiguous, so kernel version numbers alone should not be treated as a definitive affected-or-fixed matrix.
Exploitation context
The supplied CVSS 3.1 vector rates this 7.8 and describes a local, low-complexity attack requiring low privileges and no user interaction. The bundle marks it absent from KEV and provides no evidence of active exploitation, public exploitation, or remote reachability.
Researcher notes
The root condition is an undersized DMA destination for RTL8125 tally counters, creating an out-of-bounds device write into kernel memory. The sources establish the defect and correction direction but do not document a demonstrated exploit, reliable attack primitive, or complete affected-version boundaries. Validate against exact vendor kernel builds.
Mitigation direction
- Install a vendor-supported kernel containing the applicable stable fix.
- Match distribution or appliance advisories to the deployed kernel build.
- Prioritize systems confirmed to use r8169 with RTL8125 hardware.
- Apply normal change controls because remediation changes kernel and driver code.
Validation and detection
- Inventory kernel versions, network hardware, and loaded r8169 drivers.
- Confirm the installed kernel includes the distribution fix or referenced stable commit.
- Review vendor advisories because the supplied version representation is incomplete.
- After updating, verify normal networking and kernel stability under representative workloads.
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
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2024-49973 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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/64648ae8c97ec5a3165021627f5a1658ebe081caCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/991e8b0bab669b7d06927c3e442b3352532e8581CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/21950321ad33d7613b1453f4c503d7b1871deb61CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe44b3bfbf0c74df5712f44458689d0eccccf47dCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c723d785adb711496bc64c24240f952f4faaabfCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92bc8647b4d65f4d4bf8afdb206321c1bc55a486CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/585c048d15ed559f20cb94c8fa2f30077efa4fbcCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ced8e8b8f40accfcce4a2bbd8b150aa76d5eff9aCVE reference, Linux
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00002.htmlCVE reference, CVE
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.htmlCVE reference, CVE
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-265688.htmlCVE reference, siemens-SADP
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-355557.htmlCVE reference, siemens-SADP
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.