📖 ~4 min read • Source: Ubuntu Security Notice USN-7115-1
Related CVEs: CVE-2024-49768 CVE-2024-49769
Upstream summary: It was discovered that Waitress could process follow up requests when
receiving a specially crafted message. An attacker could use this issue to
have the server process inconsistent client requests. This issue only
affected Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Ubuntu 24.10. (CVE-2024-49768)
Dylan Jay discovered that Waitress could be lead to write to an unexisting
socket after closing the remote connection. An attacker could use this
issue to increase resource utilization leading to a denia
Table of contents
Symptom & Impact
On Ubuntu 22.04 hosts running waitress, administrators report behaviour consistent with Ubuntu Security Notice USN-7115-1: apt refusing to install or restart affected services, AppArmor denials in journalctl -k, and — for security-rated advisories — exposure to the vulnerability set above. In production estates the visible impact ranges from a single service restart to wider availability incidents whenever waitress sits on the serving path.
Environment & Reproduction
Reproduction targets Ubuntu 22.04. Confirm release with lsb_release -a and cat /etc/os-release, and the currently installed package with dpkg -l waitress and apt-cache policy waitress. Capture system state with sudo ubuntu-bug waitress or sudo apport-collect for an evidence bundle. Trigger the workflow that exposes waitress — multiple vulnerabilities (2 CVEs) — patch and remediation guide while collecting journalctl -b, /var/log/apt/history.log, and dpkg -l output.
Root Cause Analysis
Root cause is documented in Ubuntu Security Notice USN-7115-1. Canonical security maintainers shipped fixes in the corresponding waitress update for Ubuntu 22.04; running an outdated build leaves the host exposed to the failure modes described in the advisory. Correlate journalctl --since timestamps with apt history (/var/log/apt/history.log) and any AppArmor denials in /var/log/syslog to isolate the originating change.
Quick Triage
Quick triage: run systemctl status waitress, journalctl -u waitress -n 200, sudo apt update && apt list --upgradable, sudo ufw status verbose, and sudo aa-status. If AppArmor is in enforce mode, capture journalctl -k | grep apparmor to surface denials linked to waitress — multiple vulnerabilities (2 CVEs) — patch and remediation guide.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis
1) Confirm symptom with systemctl --failed. 2) Inspect logs: journalctl -xe and journalctl -u waitress. 3) Validate firewall: sudo ufw status numbered. 4) Check AppArmor: sudo aa-status and journalctl -k | grep apparmor. 5) Verify package integrity: dpkg -V waitress and sudo apt install --reinstall waitress. 6) Correlate findings with apt list --installed waitress, /var/log/apt/history.log, and Ubuntu Security Notice USN-7115-1 to pin the change that introduced waitress — multiple vulnerabilities (2 CVEs) — patch and remediation guide.
Solution – Primary Fix
Primary fix for waitress — multiple vulnerabilities (2 CVEs) — patch and remediation guide: apply the corrective apt transaction described in Ubuntu Security Notice USN-7115-1, reload the affected systemd unit, and reconcile UFW / AppArmor state. Typical commands: sudo apt update, sudo apt -y install --only-upgrade waitress or sudo unattended-upgrade -v, sudo systemctl daemon-reload, sudo systemctl restart waitress, then dpkg -l waitress to validate the new build is installed. For kernel advisories add sudo reboot or apply Ubuntu Livepatch (canonical-livepatch status) where covered by your Ubuntu Pro subscription.
Need help rolling this patch across an Ubuntu fleet? Our IT Solutions & Services team manages Ubuntu patch windows with zero-downtime change controls and Ubuntu Pro / Landscape integration. Get in touch for a free consultation.
Solution – Alternative Approaches
Alternatives include pinning a known-good version via /etc/apt/preferences.d/waitress.pref with apt-mark hold waitress, rolling back with sudo apt install waitress=<old-version>, rotating UFW rules with sudo ufw reload, switching AppArmor profiles to complain mode (sudo aa-complain /etc/apparmor.d/usr.bin.waitress) to confirm policy is the cause before authoring a custom profile, or applying Canonical Livepatch fixes via canonical-livepatch refresh where Ubuntu Pro is subscribed.
Verification & Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance: dpkg -l waitress shows the expected fixed version, systemctl is-active waitress returns active, journalctl -u waitress --since "5 minutes ago" shows no errors, apt list --upgradable no longer lists the advisory, sudo ufw status shows required services, sudo aa-status reports the intended profile mode, and the original reproduction steps for waitress — multiple vulnerabilities (2 CVEs) — patch and remediation guide no longer trigger the failure across two consecutive runs.
Rollback Plan
Capture state with apt list --installed > /root/apt-pre.txt, dpkg --get-selections > /root/dpkg-pre.txt, and where available sudo zfs snapshot rpool/ROOT/ubuntu@pre-waitress on ZFS-on-root installs. To revert, run sudo apt install --allow-downgrades waitress=<old-version> and reload systemctl daemon-reload. Remove custom AppArmor profiles with sudo apparmor_parser -R. Reboot if the kernel or initramfs changed and re-verify symptoms.
Prevention & Hardening
Prevent recurrence by enabling unattended-upgrades with Unattended-Upgrade::Allowed-Origins tuned to ${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-security, subscribing to the ubuntu-security-announce mailing list, mirroring through Landscape / a local apt-mirror for controlled rollouts, version-locking sensitive packages, and monitoring file integrity with aide --check. Apply CIS Ubuntu hardening, keep AppArmor in enforce, and enable Canonical Livepatch under Ubuntu Pro so kernel advisories can be remediated without reboot.
Related Errors & Cross-Refs
Related issues that commonly surface alongside waitress — multiple vulnerabilities (2 CVEs) — patch and remediation guide: apt lock contention (dpkg --configure -a), systemd unit ordering cycles, AppArmor denials in journalctl -k, UFW zone drift, and kernel taint flags in cat /proc/sys/kernel/tainted. See sibling common-problem articles in this Ubuntu 22.04 series for adjacent failure modes.
View all ubuntu-22-04 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →
Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.
References & Further Reading
Primary reference: Ubuntu Security Notice USN-7115-1. Supporting docs: Ubuntu Server Guide, man apt, man systemctl, man ufw, man aa-status, man apparmor, man journalctl, the Ubuntu CVE Tracker at ubuntu.com/security/cves, and Canonical Livepatch docs. Review /usr/share/doc/waitress/ for component-level notes implicated in waitress — multiple vulnerabilities (2 CVEs) — patch and remediation guide.
