---
title: "CVE-2024-48992\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-48992?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2024-48992

Publication date 19 November 2024

Last updated 26 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**High**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-48992?format=md#priority-reason )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**7.8 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-48992?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local
attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by tricking needrestart into
running the Ruby interpreter with an attacker-controlled RUBYLIB
environment variable.

### Why is this CVE high priority?

Local privilege escalation

[Learn more about Ubuntu priority](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority)

## Mitigation

Edit /etc/needrestart/needrestart.conf so that the following line
appears after "# Disable interpreter scanners." and reboot:
$nrconf{interpscan} = 0;

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| needrestart | 25.04 plucky | Fixed 3.6-8ubuntu6 |
| 24.10 oracular | Fixed 3.6-8ubuntu4.2 |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Fixed 3.6-7ubuntu4.3 |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Fixed 3.5-5ubuntu2.2 |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Fixed 3.4-6ubuntu0.1+esm1  Ubuntu Pro |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Fixed 3.1-1ubuntu0.1+esm1  Ubuntu Pro |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 2.6-1ubuntu0.1~esm1  Ubuntu Pro |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-48992?format=md#patch-details)

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### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| needrestart | * Upstream:   [b5f25f6](https://github.com/liske/needrestart/commit/b5f25f6ec6e7dd0c5be249e4e45de4ee9ffe594f) |

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

7.8 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Local |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | Low |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | High |
  | Integrity impact | High |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 7.8 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

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

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-48992)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-48992)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2024-48992)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2024-48992)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-7117-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-7117-1)
+ needrestart and Module::ScanDeps vulnerabilities
+ 19 November 2024

### Other references

* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-48992>
* <https://www.qualys.com/2024/11/19/needrestart/needrestart.txt>