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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2024-38560 Siemens CVE debrief

A missing null-termination check in the Linux kernel's SCSI BFA (Brocade Fibre Channel HBA) driver can cause an out-of-bounds read when sscanf is used on a user-supplied buffer. The driver allocates a kernel buffer sized to match user-supplied nbytes, copies exactly nbytes from userspace, and then processes the buffer with sscanf without ensuring NUL termination. This can lead to reading beyond buffer boundaries. The vulnerability is rated CVSS 3.1 5.5 (MEDIUM) with local attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, and high availability impact. Siemens has identified this as affecting the GNU/Linux subsystem of SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP industrial control products. No patch is currently available; mitigation relies on restricting access to trusted personnel and running only trusted applications.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2024-04-09
Original CVE updated
2026-05-14
Advisory published
2024-04-09
Advisory updated
2026-05-14

Who should care

Organizations operating Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP systems with the GNU/Linux subsystem enabled, particularly in industrial control and OT environments where local user access cannot be fully eliminated. Security teams should prioritize access controls and monitoring given the absence of an available patch.

Technical summary

The BFA (Brocade Fibre Channel HBA) SCSI driver in the Linux kernel fails to ensure user-supplied buffers are NUL-terminated before passing them to sscanf. The driver allocates a buffer of size nbytes, copies nbytes from userspace, and uses sscanf without termination validation. This can cause sscanf to read beyond allocated memory. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges and impacts availability. No patch is available; mitigations focus on access restriction and trusted execution environments.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Restrict interactive shell access to the GNU/Linux subsystem to trusted personnel only
  • Execute only applications from trusted sources
  • Monitor for Siemens security advisories for patch availability
  • Apply defense-in-depth controls per ICS-CERT recommended practices
  • Segment industrial control networks to limit lateral movement if local access is compromised

Evidence notes

The vulnerability description is drawn from the CISA CSAF advisory ICSA-24-102-01 and the CVE record. The CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H confirms local attack requirements with availability impact only. Siemens remediation guidance explicitly states 'Currently no fix is available' as of the advisory publication.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2024-38560 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38560

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2024-38560 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38560

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

  • Source item URL

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/OT/white/2024/icsa-24-102-01.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-265688.json

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-265688.html

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-24-102-01

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-alerts/ics-alert-10-301-01

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/ics-recommended-practices

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/industrial-control-systems

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/recommended_practices/NCCIC_ICS-CERT_Defense_in_Depth_2016_S508C.pdf

    Reference

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.