PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2024-38565 Siemens CVE debrief

CVE-2024-38565 is a medium-severity vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) in the Linux kernel's ar5523 Wi-Fi driver, affecting the GNU/Linux subsystem of Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP industrial controllers. The flaw involves improper endpoint verification in the USB Wi-Fi driver, where an endpoint in use lacks the expected type, potentially leading to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability was discovered through Syzkaller kernel fuzzing and was published on April 9, 2024. Siemens has confirmed this vulnerability affects their industrial control product but has not released a patch as of the latest advisory update on May 14, 2026. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges to exploit, with no user interaction needed. Given the affected product is an industrial control system deployed in operational technology environments, organizations should implement strict access controls to the GNU/Linux subsystem's interactive shell and only execute applications from trusted sources until a patch becomes available.

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 industrial controllers with enabled GNU/Linux subsystems, particularly in manufacturing, process control, and critical infrastructure sectors where these devices manage physical processes.

Technical summary

The ar5523 driver in the Linux kernel fails to properly verify USB endpoint types before use. A Syzkaller fuzzing report triggered a warning when an endpoint lacked the expected type. The fix involves validating all endpoints and their types exist before operation, though the patch was not tested on physical hardware.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

Restrict interactive shell access to the GNU/Linux subsystem of affected Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP devices to trusted personnel only
Implement application whitelisting to ensure only trusted, verified applications execute on the GNU/Linux subsystem
Monitor for anomalous USB device connections or Wi-Fi driver activity on affected systems
Apply vendor patches immediately upon release from Siemens
Segment affected industrial control systems from enterprise networks per CISA ICS recommended practices

Evidence notes

Vulnerability description sourced from CISA CSAF advisory ICSA-24-102-01 and Siemens security advisory SSA-265688. CVSS vector confirms local attack vector with low attack complexity. The source advisory indicates no fix is currently available as of the last modification date.

Official resources

2024-04-09