CVE-2024-27297: nix — Exploit & Fix

Description

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A fixed-output derivations on Linux can send file descriptors to files in the Nix store to another program running on the host (or another fixed-output derivation) via Unix domain sockets in the abstract namespace. This allows to modify the output of the derivation, after Nix has registered the path as "valid" and immutable in the Nix database. In particular, this allows the output of fixed-output derivations to be modified from their expected content. This issue has been addressed in versions 2.3.18 2.18.2 2.19.4 and 2.20.5. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.3

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-367 CWE-367

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
nixos	nix	< 2.3.18
nixos	nix	2.4 — 2.18.2
nixos	nix	2.19.0 — 2.19.4
nixos	nix	2.20.0 — 2.20.5

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/NixOS/nix/commit/f8170ce9f119e5e6724eb81ff1b5a2d4c0024000 https://github.com/NixOS/nix/security/advisories/GHSA-2ffj-w4mj-pg37 https://github.com/NixOS/nix/commit/f8170ce9f119e5e6724eb81ff1b5a2d4c0024000 https://github.com/NixOS/nix/security/advisories/GHSA-2ffj-w4mj-pg37

Exploits

https://hackmd.io/03UGerewRcy3db44JQoWvw https://hackmd.io/03UGerewRcy3db44JQoWvw

Other References

https://guix.gnu.org/en/blog/2025/privilege-escalation-vulnerabilities-2025/

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-27297? +

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A fixed-output derivations on Linux can send file descriptors to files in the Nix store to another program running on the host (or another fixed-output derivation) via Unix domain sockets in the abstract namespace. This allows to modify the output of the derivation, after Nix has registered the path as "valid" and immutable in the Nix database. In particular, this allows the output of fixed-output derivations to be modified from their expected content. This issue has been addressed in versions 2.3.18 2.18.2 2.19.4 and 2.20.5. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.3 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-27297? +

CVE-2024-27297 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.3 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-27297? +

CVE-2024-27297 affects products from nixos, specifically: nix. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-27297? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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