Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by winning a race condition and tricking needrestart into running their own, fake Python interpreter (instead of the system's real Python interpreter). The initial security fix (6ce6136) introduced a regression which was subsequently resolved (42af5d3).
CVSS Details
- CVSS 3.1 Base Score: 7.8
- CVSS 3.1 Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
Covered by Rapid7
| Product | Vendor Advisory | Solution File | Added | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | — | Upgrade needrestart | Nov 25, 2024 | Nov 19, 2024 |
| Gentoo Linux | — | Upgrade app-admin/needrestart. | Aug 24, 2026 | Aug 24, 2026 |
| Ubuntu | — | Upgrade needrestartUpgrade libmodule-scandeps-perlUpgrade needrestart (Ubuntu Pro)Upgrade libmodule-scandeps-perl (Ubuntu Pro) | Nov 20, 2024 | Nov 19, 2024 |
Prioritise with Active Threat Intelligence
With curated Threat Intelligence, you can see which vulnerabilities truly put you at risk, prioritize what matters most, and act before attackers do.
Explore Intelligence Hub