Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by tricking needrestart int
Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by tricking needrestart into running the Python interpreter with an attacker-controlled PYTHONPATH environment variable.
- Published
- Nov 19, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 20.5% · 97th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-427
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Report tools
Action score
37
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 6 / 30 · 20.5%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · canonical
- 7.8
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| needrestart project | needrestart | cpe:2.3:a:needrestart_project:needrestart |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- needrestart project needrestartbefore 3.8
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (canonical). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
needrestart needrestart
- before 3.8affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:11 | needrestart | before 3.5-4+deb11u4 | 3.5-4+deb11u4 |
| Debian:12 | needrestart | before 3.6-4+deb12u2 | 3.6-4+deb12u2 |
| Debian:13 | needrestart | before 3.7-3.1 | 3.7-3.1 |
Same product
needrestart project: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2024-11003Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, passes unsanitized data to a library (Modules::ScanDeps) which expects safe input.34Monitor
- CVE-2024-48992Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by tricking needrestart int33Monitor
- CVE-2024-48991Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by winning a race condition33Monitor
- CVE-2022-30688needrestart 0.8 through 3.5 before 3.6 is prone to local privilege escalation.31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| needrestart needrestart | 3.8 | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:needrestart | 3.6-4+deb12u2 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Metasploit module ×1
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×20
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit module | exploit/linux/local/ubuntu_needrestart_lpeUbuntu needrestart Privilege Escalationexploit | 2024-11-19 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:105 | 2024-11-20 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:5 | 2024-11-21 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2024-11-22 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:2 | 2024-11-24 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:26 | 2024-11-24 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:5 | 2024-11-25 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2024-12-09 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:1 | 2024-12-18 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:5 | 2025-02-16 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:9 | 2025-10-28 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2025-10-28 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Metasploit-1 d
- Published
- First PoCsame day
- TodaySep 30, 2026+680 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- Qualysfinder
- Thomas Liskeremediation developer
- Mark Eslercoordinator
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2024-489920 days apartQualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by tricking needrestart int33Monitor
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-427 · Uncontrolled Search Path ElementCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
- Hijack Execution Flow:DLL search order hijackingT1574.001
- Hijack Execution Flow: Dylib HijackingT1574.004
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by PATH Environment VariableT1574.007
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Search Order HijackingT1574.008
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Unquoted PathT1574.009
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- github.com/liske/needrestart/commit/fcc9a4401392231bef4ef5ed026a0d7a275149ab
- www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-48990
- www.qualys.com/2024/11/19/needrestart/needrestart.txt
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Nov/17
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/11/msg00014.html
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/11/19/1
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.