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CVE-2024-43378

calamares-nixos-extensions LUKS keyfile exposure regression on legacy BIOS systems

7.8 High

calamares-nixos-extensions provides Calamares branding and modules for NixOS, a distribution of GNU/Linux. Users who installed NixOS through the graphical installer who used manual disk partitioning to create a setup where the system was booted via legacy BIOS rather than UEFI; some disk partitions are encrypted; but the partitions containing either / or /boot are unencrypted; have their LUKS disk encryption key file in plain text either in /crypto_keyfile.bin, or in a CPIO archive attached to their NixOS initrd. nixos-install is not affected, nor are UEFI installations, nor was the default automatic partitioning configuration on legacy BIOS systems. The problem has been fixed in calamares-nixos-extensions 0.3.17, which was included in NixOS. The current installer images for the NixOS 24.05 and unstable (24.11) channels are unaffected. The fix reached 24.05 at 2024-08-13 20:06:59 UTC, and unstable at 2024-08-15 09:00:20 UTC. Installer images downloaded before those times may be vulnerable. The best solution for affected users is probably to back up their data and do a complete reinstallation. However, the mitigation procedure in GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww should work solely for the case where / is encrypted but /boot is not. If / is unencrypted, then the /crypto_keyfile.bin file will need to be deleted in addition to the remediation steps in the previous advisory. This issue is a partial regression of CVE-2023-36476 / GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww, which was more severe as it applied to the default configuration on BIOS systems.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.13%Up 0.1 points since Aug 16, 2024
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 7.8

calamares-nixos-extensions LUKS keyfile exposure regression on legacy BIOS systems

calamares-nixos-extensions provides Calamares branding and modules for NixOS, a distribution of GNU/Linux. Users who installed NixOS through the graphical installer who used manual disk partitioning to create a setup where the system was booted via legacy BIOS rather than UEFI; some disk partitions are encrypted; but the partitions containing either / or /boot are unencrypted; have their LUKS disk encryption key file in plain text either in /crypto_keyfile.bin, or in a CPIO archive attached to their NixOS initrd. nixos-install is not affected, nor are UEFI installations, nor was the default automatic partitioning configuration on legacy BIOS systems. The problem has been fixed in calamares-nixos-extensions 0.3.17, which was included in NixOS. The current installer images for the NixOS 24.05 and unstable (24.11) channels are unaffected. The fix reached 24.05 at 2024-08-13 20:06:59 UTC, and unstable at 2024-08-15 09:00:20 UTC. Installer images downloaded before those times may be vulnerable. The best solution for affected users is probably to back up their data and do a complete reinstallation. However, the mitigation procedure in GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww should work solely for the case where / is encrypted but /boot is not. If / is unencrypted, then the /crypto_keyfile.bin file will need to be deleted in addition to the remediation steps in the previous advisory. This issue is a partial regression of CVE-2023-36476 / GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww, which was more severe as it applied to the default configuration on BIOS systems.

Record
CVE-2024-43378
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-256
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2024-40256 7.8

calamares-nixos-extensions provides Calamares branding and modules for NixOS, a distribution of GNU/Linux. Users who installed NixOS through the graphical installer who used manual disk partitioning to create a setup where the system was booted via legacy BIOS rather than UEFI; some disk partitions are encrypted; but the partitions containing either / or /boot are unencrypted; have their LUKS disk encryption key file in plain text either in /crypto_keyfile.bin, or in a CPIO archive attached to their NixOS initrd. nixos-install is not affected, nor are UEFI installations, nor was the default automatic partitioning configuration on legacy BIOS systems. The problem has been fixed in calamares-nixos-extensions 0.3.17, which was included in NixOS. The current installer images for the NixOS 24.05 and unstable (24.11) channels are unaffected. The fix reached 24.05 at 2024-08-13 20:06:59 UTC, and unstable at 2024-08-15 09:00:20 UTC. Installer images downloaded before those times may be vulnerable. The best solution for affected users is probably to back up their data and do a complete reinstallation. However, the mitigation procedure in GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww should work solely for the case where / is encrypted but /boot is not. If / is unencrypted, then the /crypto_keyfile.bin file will need to be deleted in addition to the remediation steps in the previous advisory. This issue is a partial regression of CVE-2023-36476 / GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww, which was more severe as it applied to the default configuration on BIOS systems.

Record
EUVD-2024-40256
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
NVD 7.8

calamares-nixos-extensions provides Calamares branding and modules for NixOS, a distribution of GNU/Linux. Users who installed NixOS through the graphical installer who used manual disk partitioning to create a setup where the system was booted via legacy BIOS rather than UEFI; some disk partitions are encrypted; but the partitions containing either / or /boot are unencrypted; have their LUKS disk encryption key file in plain text either in /crypto_keyfile.bin, or in a CPIO archive attached to their NixOS initrd. nixos-install is not affected, nor are UEFI installations, nor was the default automatic partitioning configuration on legacy BIOS systems. The problem has been fixed in calamares-nixos-extensions 0.3.17, which was included in NixOS. The current installer images for the NixOS 24.05 and unstable (24.11) channels are unaffected. The fix reached 24.05 at 2024-08-13 20:06:59 UTC, and unstable at 2024-08-15 09:00:20 UTC. Installer images downloaded before those times may be vulnerable. The best solution for affected users is probably to back up their data and do a complete reinstallation. However, the mitigation procedure in GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww should work solely for the case where / is encrypted but /boot is not. If / is unencrypted, then the /crypto_keyfile.bin file will need to be deleted in addition to the remediation steps in the previous advisory. This issue is a partial regression of CVE-2023-36476 / GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww, which was more severe as it applied to the default configuration on BIOS systems.

Record
CVE-2024-43378
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-256
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 7.8

calamares-nixos-extensions LUKS keyfile exposure regression on legacy BIOS systems

calamares-nixos-extensions provides Calamares branding and modules for NixOS, a distribution of GNU/Linux. Users who installed NixOS through the graphical installer who used manual disk partitioning to create a setup where the system was booted via legacy BIOS rather than UEFI; some disk partitions are encrypted; but the partitions containing either / or /boot are unencrypted; have their LUKS disk encryption key file in plain text either in /crypto_keyfile.bin, or in a CPIO archive attached to their NixOS initrd. nixos-install is not affected, nor are UEFI installations, nor was the default automatic partitioning configuration on legacy BIOS systems. The problem has been fixed in calamares-nixos-extensions 0.3.17, which was included in NixOS. The current installer images for the NixOS 24.05 and unstable (24.11) channels are unaffected. The fix reached 24.05 at 2024-08-13 20:06:59 UTC, and unstable at 2024-08-15 09:00:20 UTC. Installer images downloaded before those times may be vulnerable. The best solution for affected users is probably to back up their data and do a complete reinstallation. However, the mitigation procedure in GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww should work solely for the case where / is encrypted but /boot is not. If / is unencrypted, then the /crypto_keyfile.bin file will need to be deleted in addition to the remediation steps in the previous advisory. This issue is a partial regression of CVE-2023-36476 / GHSA-3rvf-24q2-24ww, which was more severe as it applied to the default configuration on BIOS systems.

Record
CVE-2024-43378
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-256
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliases, publishedEUVD
first indexedCVE List, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2024-43378 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Nixos Calamares-nixos-extensions, published August 15, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.13%, the 2nd percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

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