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CVE-2024-38601 Siemens CVE debrief

A race condition in the Linux kernel's ring buffer implementation can cause tracing to stop unexpectedly when ring buffer resize operations occur concurrently with reader page swaps. The vulnerability exists in the doubly-linked list manipulation during page replacement in rb_get_reader_page(), where temporary inconsistency between page->prev->next and page->next->prev pointers can be detected by rb_check_pages() during parallel ring_buffer_resize() calls. This condition became more likely to trigger following kernel commit d78ab792705c (tracing: Stop current tracer when resizing buffer), which ensures the parent trace_buffer has recording disabled during resize operations. The issue affects Siemens industrial networking products running SINEC OS, including RUGGEDCOM RST2428P and SCALANCE XC-300/XR-300/XC-400/XR-500WG/XR-500 family devices.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
RUGGEDCOM RST2428P (6GK6242-6PA00)
CVSS
NONE
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2025-08-12
Original CVE updated
2026-02-25
Advisory published
2025-08-12
Advisory updated
2026-02-25

Who should care

Organizations operating Siemens industrial networking infrastructure including RUGGEDCOM RST2428P switches and SCALANCE XC/XR series devices. OT security teams responsible for maintaining visibility into industrial control system operations through kernel tracing. System administrators managing SINEC OS deployments who rely on ring buffer functionality for diagnostics and monitoring.

Technical summary

The vulnerability stems from non-atomic doubly-linked list updates in the Linux kernel's ring buffer implementation. When rb_get_reader_page() performs cmpxchg on old->list.prev->next to swap in a new reader page, the subsequent update to old->list.next->prev creates a brief window of list inconsistency. Concurrent ring_buffer_resize() calls invoke rb_check_pages(), which validates list integrity and can halt tracing when detecting the temporary inconsistency. The race window is small but was made more exploitable by kernel changes ensuring recording is disabled during resize operations.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply vendor-provided firmware updates to V3.1 or later for affected Siemens SINEC OS products per Siemens ProductCERT guidance
  • Review and implement CISA ICS recommended practices for defense-in-depth strategies in industrial control system environments
  • Monitor for unexpected tracing interruptions on affected systems as potential indicators of race condition triggering
  • Validate ring buffer resize operations do not occur during active tracing sessions where possible
  • Consult Siemens support resources for product-specific patch availability and deployment guidance

Evidence notes

The vulnerability description is derived from CISA CSAF advisory ICSA-25-226-15, which references Siemens ProductCERT advisory SSA-613116. The technical details describe a race condition between rb_get_reader_page() and ring_buffer_resize() in kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c. The issue was resolved in the Linux kernel upstream. Siemens has issued vendor fixes for affected SINEC OS versions.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2024-38601 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38601

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

  • CVE-2024-38601 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38601

    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/2025/icsa-25-226-15.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-613116.json

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-613116.html

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-25-226-15

    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.