CVE-2014-7824

What it actually does

Local process can queue the maximum number of file descriptors to D-Bus, exhausting the daemon's connection handling and blocking new connections or dropping existing ones.

Why it matters to the business

Inter-process communication on affected systems can be disrupted, causing dependent services to stop responding until the D-Bus daemon is restarted.

How an attack unfolds

A local attacker opens many connections and queues file descriptors until the daemon's limit is reached, preventing further use of the bus and causing denial of service.

How to fix it

Upgrade D-Bus to 1.6.26 or later, 1.8.10 or later, or 1.9.2 or later. Restart the dbus-daemon after installation.

How to confirm the fix worked

Run dbus-daemon --version and confirm the installed release meets or exceeds 1.6.26, 1.8.10, or 1.9.2. Test that the daemon accepts connections after restart.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local shell access on the target system
2. Execute code that repeatedly opens D-Bus connections and queues file descriptors
3. Continue until the daemon stops accepting new connections or drops existing ones
4. Maintain the condition to prolong the denial of service

How to detect it

Review system logs for repeated D-Bus connection attempts or file-descriptor exhaustion messages around the time of reported unavailability; check process listings for unusually high numbers of dbus-related file descriptors.

What your security team should do

• Apply the version upgrades listed in remediation guidance immediately on all affected hosts
• Audit systems for unpatched D-Bus packages and prioritize those exposed to local users
• Monitor for any remaining instances still running versions before the fixed releases