Embedded malicious code (backdoor) in XZ Utils - CVE-2024-3094
Published: April 1, 2024 / Updated: April 3, 2025
Vulnerability identifier: #VU87917
CSH Severity: Critical
CVSS v4: 9.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2024-3094
CWE-ID: CWE-506
Exploitation vector: Remote access
Exploit availability:
The vulnerability is being exploited in the wild
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to the application.
The vulnerability exists due to presence of embedded malicious functionality in the application code (aka backdoor) that allows a remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to the system.
Note, the vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild.
Affected software
XZ Utils
Gentoo Linux
Arch Linux
app-arch/xz-utils
xz
Gentoo Linux
Arch Linux
app-arch/xz-utils
xz
How to mitigate CVE-2024-3094
Install update from vendor's website.
app-arch/xz-utils - update to 5.2.5
xz - update to 5.6.1-2
xz - update to 5.6.1-2
Links to Public Exploits and PoC-codes
External References
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2024-3094
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2272210
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/03/29/4
- https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/urgent-security-alert-fedora-41-and-rawhide-users
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39865810
- https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/03/backdoor-found-in-widely-used-linux-utility-breaks-encrypted-ssh-connections/
- https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/29/malicious_backdoor_xz/
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2024/03/29/reported-supply-chain-compromise-affecting-xz-utils-data-compression-library-cve-2024-3094
- https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/are-you-affected-by-the-backdoor-in-xz-utils
- https://aws.amazon.com/security/security-bulletins/AWS-2024-002/
- https://www.tenable.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-cve-2024-3094-supply-chain-backdoor-in-xz-utils
- https://openssf.org/blog/2024/03/30/xz-backdoor-cve-2024-3094/
- https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1222124
- https://security.archlinux.org/CVE-2024-3094
- https://security.alpinelinux.org/vuln/CVE-2024-3094
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2024-3094
- https://lists.freebsd.org/archives/freebsd-security/2024-March/000248.html
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39877267
- https://gynvael.coldwind.pl/?lang=en&id=782