CVE-2024-39920
Published: July 5, 2024Last modified: June 18, 2025
Description
The TCP protocol in RFC 9293 has a timing side channel that makes it easier for remote attackers to infer the content of one TCP connection from a client system (to any server), when that client system is concurrently obtaining TCP data at a slow rate from an attacker-controlled server, aka the "SnailLoad" issue. For example, the attack can begin by measuring RTTs via the TCP segments whose role is to provide an ACK control bit and an Acknowledgment Number.
Severity score breakdown
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Base score | 4.3 |
| Attack Vector | ADJACENT_NETWORK |
| Attack complexity | LOW |
| Privileges required | NONE |
| User interaction | NONE |
| Scope | UNCHANGED |
| Confidentiality | LOW |
| Integrity impact | NONE |
| Availability impact | NONE |
| Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N |
Status
| Product | Release | Package | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpaquita Linux | 23 LTS | linux-lts | Not affected (6.1.33-r0) |
| Stream | linux-lts | Not affected (6.1.33-r0) |
References
- https://github.com/IAIK/SnailLoad
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40809629
- https://twitter.com/tugraz/status/1805272833322299412
- https://www.instagram.com/p/C8wpO1UtExw/
- https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9293.txt
- https://www.snailload.com
- https://www.snailload.com/snailload.pdf
- https://www.tugraz.at/en/tu-graz/services/news-stories/tu-graz-news/singleview/article/neue-sicherheitsluecke-erlaubt-ueberwachung-besuchter-websites-und-angesehener-videos