CVE-2024-38538: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bridge: xmit: make sure we have at least eth header len bytes syzbot triggered an uni

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bridge: xmit: make sure we have at least eth header len bytes syzbot triggered an uni

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bridge: xmit: make sure we have at least eth header len bytes syzbot triggered an uninit value[1] error in bridge device's xmit path by sending a short (less than ETH_HLEN bytes) skb. To fix it check if we can actually pull that amount instead of assuming. Tested with dropwatch: drop at: br_dev_xmit+0xb93/0x12d0 [bridge] (0xffffffffc06739b3) origin: software timestamp: Mon May 13 11:31:53 2024 778214037 nsec protocol: 0x88a8 length: 2 original length: 2 drop reason: PKT_TOO_SMALL [1] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in br_dev_xmit+0x61d/0x1cb0 net/bridge/br_device.c:65 br_dev_xmit+0x61d/0x1cb0 net/bridge/br_device.c:65 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4903 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4917 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3531 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x247/0xa20 net/core/dev.c:3547 __dev_queue_xmit+0x34db/0x5350 net/core/dev.c:4341 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3091 [inline] __bpf_tx_skb net/core/filter.c:2136 [inline] __bpf_redirect_common net/core/filter.c:2180 [inline] __bpf_redirect+0x14a6/0x1620 net/core/filter.c:2187 ____bpf_clone_redirec

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.28%, higher than 20% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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