What happened

CISA added CVE-2024-50302 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2025-03-04, triggering mandatory remediation timelines for U.S. federal agencies CISA KEV. The entry describes a use-of-uninitialized resource flaw in the Linux kernel that allows an attacker to leak kernel memory via a specially crafted HID report NVD entry. By policy, KEV inclusion signals confirmation that the vulnerability is being exploited in the wild, elevating urgency for patching and mitigations CISA KEV. The issue is tracked as CVE-2024-50302 and maps to CWE-908 (Use of Uninitialized Resource), affecting the Linux Kernel component itself MITRE CVE record.

CISA’s required action directs organizations to apply vendor mitigations or discontinue use where mitigations are unavailable, consistent with BOD 22-01 processes and deadlines for KEV items CISA KEV. The NVD record aligns on impact—kernel memory exposure through malformed HID input—indicating information disclosure at the kernel boundary NVD entry.

Why it matters

Kernel memory disclosure undermines isolation guarantees and can expose sensitive data that should never be visible to unprivileged code paths NVD entry. When attackers can read uninitialized or residual kernel memory, they may harvest pointers or data structures that can support follow-on exploitation against hardened systems MITRE CVE record. CISA’s KEV designation means exploitation has been observed, which historically correlates with rapid operationalization by threat actors once reliable artifacts circulate CISA KEV.

The attack surface here rides a ubiquitous input path: HID reports that the kernel routinely parses on endpoints and servers with peripheral exposure, increasing the practical reach beyond niche configurations NVD entry. Because the flaw lives in a common open-source core, downstream distributions and device vendors inherit risk until patches propagate, amplifying exposure windows across heterogeneous fleets CISA KEV.

Technical detail

CVE-2024-50302 is categorized as CWE-908 “Use of Uninitialized Resource,” indicating kernel code paths that read from memory before proper initialization and then surface those bytes externally MITRE CVE record. In this case, the leakage is reachable via a specially crafted HID report—data structures the kernel expects from human interface devices—which can cause uninitialized kernel memory to be copied or exposed to user space NVD entry. The result is information disclosure from privileged memory, which can reveal implementation details or residual data not intended for disclosure NVD entry.

CISA’s KEV inclusion clarifies that active exploitation has been detected and sets a remediation due date for covered entities under BOD 22-01, signaling that reliable exploit triggers or techniques are in circulation CISA KEV. The scope is the upstream Linux Kernel project, with downstream vendors expected to ship fixes via their distribution channels once upstream patches are available MITRE CVE record.

Defense

• Prioritize remediation as mandated by CISA KEV: apply vendor mitigations or discontinue use if no mitigation is available, following BOD 22-01 timelines for CVE-2024-50302 CISA KEV.
• Track vendor and distro advisories mapped to this CVE and verify kernel package updates propagate across all supported images and golden AMIs where HID parsing is in scope NVD entry.
• Monitor authoritative records (NVD/MITRE) for updates on impact, severity, and references as triage context evolves in public databases MITRE CVE record.
• Enforce standard KEV operational procedures: inventory exposure, accelerate patch windows on internet-exposed or peripheral-accessible systems, and document exceptions under risk acceptance only when mitigations cannot be applied CISA KEV.

Given the nature of the flaw—information disclosure via crafted HID reports—patching is the primary control, with detection serving as a backstop while updates roll out NVD entry. Maintain continuous validation that kernel versions match patched advisories in each environment to prevent drift-induced re-exposure CISA KEV.

Lyrie Verdict

This is classic pre-exploitation telemetry: a kernel info-leak reachable via structured input that adversaries can weaponize to stabilize exploit chains, and it’s already in KEV CISA KEV. Lyrie instruments the gap between patch availability and fleet compliance by autonomously correlating CVE intelligence with endpoint sensor signals and policy state at machine speed MITRE CVE record. For CVE-2024-50302, we push automated controls to: 1) verify kernel build provenance against known-fixed versions, 2) flag endpoints processing anomalous HID-like payload patterns pending patch, and 3) enforce risk-aware isolation on non-compliant assets until remediation completes—all without waiting on human triage loops NVD entry. Rogue automated adversaries iterate faster than human teams; our defense moves faster than they do by default.