How severe is CVE-2024-48991?

CVE-2024-48991 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2024-48991 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-48991?

CVE-2024-48991 affects Needrestart Project Needrestart. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2024-48991?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

Does CVE-2024-48991 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2024-48991 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2024-43194.

When was CVE-2024-48991 published?

CVE-2024-48991 was published on 2024-11-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2024-48991

CVE-2024-48991 is a high-severity vulnerability in Needrestart Project Needrestart with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-362.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (92nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2024-43194
Weakness: CWE-362
Affected product: Needrestart Project Needrestart
Published: 2024-11-19
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by winning a race condition and tricking needrestart into running their own, fake Python interpreter (instead of the system's real Python interpreter). The initial security fix (6ce6136) introduced a regression which was subsequently resolved (42af5d3).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2024-48991?: Qualys discovered that needrestart, before version 3.8, allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code as root by winning a race condition and tricking needrestart into running their own, fake Python interpreter (instead of the system's real Python interpreter). The initial security fix (6ce6136) introduced a regression which was subsequently resolved (42af5d3).
How severe is CVE-2024-48991?: CVE-2024-48991 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2024-48991 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2024-48991?: CVE-2024-48991 affects Needrestart Project Needrestart. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2024-48991?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2024-48991 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2024-48991 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2024-43194.
When was CVE-2024-48991 published?: CVE-2024-48991 was published on 2024-11-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:needrestart_project:needrestart:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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