CVE-2024-11991
Uninitialized memory access in Motoko incremental garbage collector
Motoko's incremental garbage collector is impacted by an uninitialized memory access bug, caused by incorrect use of write barriers in a few locations. This vulnerability could potentially allow unauthorized read or write access to a Canister's memory. However, exploiting this bug requires the Canister to enable the incremental garbage collector or enhanced orthogonal persistence, which are non-default features in Motoko.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Uninitialized memory access in Motoko incremental garbage collector
Motoko's incremental garbage collector is impacted by an uninitialized memory access bug, caused by incorrect use of write barriers in a few locations. This vulnerability could potentially allow unauthorized read or write access to a Canister's memory. However, exploiting this bug requires the Canister to enable the incremental garbage collector or enhanced orthogonal persistence, which are non-default features in Motoko.
- Record
CVE-2024-11991- CVSS 3.1
- 5.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-908
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2024-34242
Motoko's incremental garbage collector is impacted by an uninitialized memory access bug, caused by incorrect use of write barriers in a few locations. This vulnerability could potentially allow unauthorized read or write access to a Canister's memory. However, exploiting this bug requires the Canister to enable the incremental garbage collector or enhanced orthogonal persistence, which are non-default features in Motoko.
- Record
EUVD-2024-34242- CVSS 3.1
- 5.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-03
NVD
Motoko's incremental garbage collector is impacted by an uninitialized memory access bug, caused by incorrect use of write barriers in a few locations. This vulnerability could potentially allow unauthorized read or write access to a Canister's memory. However, exploiting this bug requires the Canister to enable the incremental garbage collector or enhanced orthogonal persistence, which are non-default features in Motoko.
- Record
CVE-2024-11991- CVSS 3.1
- 5.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-908
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
Uninitialized memory access in Motoko incremental garbage collector
Motoko's incremental garbage collector is impacted by an uninitialized memory access bug, caused by incorrect use of write barriers in a few locations. This vulnerability could potentially allow unauthorized read or write access to a Canister's memory. However, exploiting this bug requires the Canister to enable the incremental garbage collector or enhanced orthogonal persistence, which are non-default features in Motoko.
- Record
CVE-2024-11991- CVSS 3.1
- 5.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-908
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2024-11991 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.6) in Dfinity Motoko, published December 9, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.24%, the 15th percentile. No source names a fixed version.