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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2024-50131 Siemens CVE debrief

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's tracing subsystem could allow a local attacker to cause a buffer overflow condition. The issue stems from improper validation of event length when the string length equals the maximum buffer length, leaving no space for the NULL terminating character. This has been resolved in the Linux kernel by adding a check that returns failure when this condition is detected. Siemens has identified this vulnerability as affecting the GNU/Linux subsystem of the SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP industrial control system. The vulnerability is rated HIGH severity (CVSS 7.8) with local attack vector, low attack complexity, and low privileges required, but can result in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No patch is currently available from Siemens; mitigations include restricting access to the interactive shell to trusted personnel only and only building and running applications from trusted sources.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem
CVSS
HIGH 7.3
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2024-11-05
Original CVE updated
2026-08-04
Advisory published
2024-11-05
Advisory updated
2026-08-04

Who should care

Industrial control system operators using Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP, OT security teams, Linux kernel maintainers, and organizations running embedded Linux systems in critical infrastructure environments should prioritize assessment and mitigation of this vulnerability.

Technical summary

The vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's tracing subsystem where event length validation fails to account for the NULL terminating character. When strlen() returns a value equal to the maximum buffer length, the buffer has no space for the null byte, potentially leading to buffer overflow conditions. The fix adds explicit validation to return failure when this condition is detected. This affects the GNU/Linux subsystem of Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP, an industrial control system product. The vulnerability requires local access and low privileges to exploit, but successful exploitation can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.

Defensive priority

HIGH

Recommended defensive actions

  • Restrict interactive shell access to the GNU/Linux subsystem to trusted personnel only
  • Only build and run applications from trusted sources
  • Monitor for future Siemens security advisories for patch availability
  • Apply defense-in-depth strategies for industrial control systems per CISA guidance

Evidence notes

The vulnerability description is sourced from the Linux kernel commit message resolving the issue, which explicitly states that strlen() returns string length excluding the null byte and that the fix checks for the condition where string length equals maximum buffer length. Siemens CSAF data confirms affected product as SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem. CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H confirms local attack vector with high impact potential.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2024-50131 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-50131

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

  • CVE-2024-50131 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-50131

    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.