CVE-2024-6409
Published: April 11, 2026
Official Description
A race condition vulnerability was discovered in how signals are handled by OpenSSH's server (sshd). If a remote attacker does not authenticate within a set time period, then sshd's SIGALRM handler is called asynchronously. However, this signal handler calls various functions that are not async-signal-safe, for example, syslog(). As a consequence of a successful attack, in the worst case scenario, an attacker may be able to perform a remote code execution (RCE) as an unprivileged user running the sshd server.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2024-6409 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
CISA has added CVE-2024-6409 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2024-6409 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
- !CISA KEV: Federal agencies must patch per BOD 22-01 timeline
- !Active exploitation confirmed — treat as P1