CVE-2024-51491

CVE-2024-51491 is a low-severity vulnerability in Notaryproject Notation-go with a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.3. 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-703.

Key facts

Description

notion-go is a collection of libraries for supporting sign and verify OCI artifacts. Based on Notary Project specifications. The issue was identified during Quarkslab's security audit on the Certificate Revocation List (CRL) based revocation check feature. After retrieving the CRL, notation-go attempts to update the CRL cache using the os.Rename method. However, this operation may fail due to operating system-specific limitations, particularly when the source and destination paths are on different mount points. This failure could lead to an unexpected program termination. In method `crl.(*FileCache).Set`, a temporary file is created in the OS dedicated area (like /tmp for, usually, Linux/Unix). The file is written and then it is tried to move it to the dedicated `notation` cache directory thanks `os.Rename`. As specified in Go documentation, OS specific restriction may apply. When used with Linux OS, it is relying on rename syscall from the libc and as per the documentation, moving a file to a different mountpoint raises an EXDEV error, interpreted as Cross device link not permitted error. Some Linux distribution, like RedHat use a dedicated filesystem (tmpfs), mounted on a specific mountpoint (usually /tmp) for temporary files. When using such OS, revocation check based on CRL will repeatedly crash notation. As a result the signature verification process is aborted as process crashes. This issue has been addressed in version 1.3.0-rc.2 and all users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2024-51491?
notion-go is a collection of libraries for supporting sign and verify OCI artifacts. Based on Notary Project specifications. The issue was identified during Quarkslab's security audit on the Certificate Revocation List (CRL) based revocation check feature. After retrieving the CRL, notation-go attempts to update the CRL cache using the os.Rename method. However, this operation may fail due to operating system-specific limitations, particularly when the source and destination paths are on different mount points. This failure could lead to an unexpected program termination. In method `crl.(*FileCache).Set`, a temporary file is created in the OS dedicated area (like /tmp for, usually, Linux/Unix). The file is written and then it is tried to move it to the dedicated `notation` cache directory thanks `os.Rename`. As specified in Go documentation, OS specific restriction may apply. When used with Linux OS, it is relying on rename syscall from the libc and as per the documentation, moving a file to a different mountpoint raises an EXDEV error, interpreted as Cross device link not permitted error. Some Linux distribution, like RedHat use a dedicated filesystem (tmpfs), mounted on a specific mountpoint (usually /tmp) for temporary files. When using such OS, revocation check based on CRL will repeatedly crash notation. As a result the signature verification process is aborted as process crashes. This issue has been addressed in version 1.3.0-rc.2 and all users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
How severe is CVE-2024-51491?
CVE-2024-51491 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.3, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability low.
Is CVE-2024-51491 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (9th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2024-51491?
CVE-2024-51491 primarily affects Notaryproject Notation-go. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2024-51491?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2024-51491 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2024-51491 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-0040.
When was CVE-2024-51491 published?
CVE-2024-51491 was published on 2025-01-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

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