Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2023-52468 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions b57196a5ec5e4c0ffecde8348b085b778c7dce04, 0f1486dafca3398c4c46b9f6e6452fa27e73b559, 93ec4a3b76404bce01bd5c9032bef5df6feb1d62 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.27% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to b57196a5ec5e4c0ffecde8348b085b778c7dce04 or 0f1486dafca3398c4c46b9f6e6452fa27e73b559 or 93ec4a3b76404bce01bd5c9032bef5df6feb1d62, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.6.14 or 6.7.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | dcfbb67e48a2becfce7990386e985b9c45098ee5 up to, but not including, b57196a5ec5e4c0ffecde8348b085b778c7dce04; dcfbb67e48a2becfce7990386e985b9c45098ee5 up to, but not including, 0f1486dafca3398c4c46b9f6e6452fa27e73b559; dcfbb67e48a2becfce7990386e985b9c45098ee5 up to, but not including, 93ec4a3b76404bce01bd5c9032bef5df6feb1d62; 6.4 | b57196a5ec5e4c0ffecde8348b085b778c7dce04, 0f1486dafca3398c4c46b9f6e6452fa27e73b559, 93ec4a3b76404bce01bd5c9032bef5df6feb1d62 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.4.0 up to, but not including, 6.6.14; 6.7.0 up to, but not including, 6.7.2 | 6.6.14, 6.7.2 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: class: fix use-after-free in class_register() The lock_class_key is still registered and can be found in lock_keys_hash hlist after subsys_private is freed in error handler path.A task who iterate over the lock_keys_hash later may cause use-after-free.So fix that up and unregister the lock_class_key before kfree(cp). On our platform, a driver fails to kset_register because of creating duplicate filename '/class/xxx'.With Kasan enabled, it prints a invalid-access bug report. KASAN bug report: BUG: KASAN: invalid-access in lockdep_register_key+0x19c/0x1bc Write of size 8 at addr 15ffff808b8c0368 by task modprobe/252 Pointer tag: [15], memory tag: [fe] CPU: 7 PID: 252 Comm: modprobe Tainted: G W 6.6.0-mainline-maybe-dirty #1 Call trace: dump_backtrace+0x1b0/0x1e4 show_stack+0x2c/0x40 dump_stack_lvl+0xac/0xe0 print_report+0x18c/0x4d8 kasan_report+0xe8/0x148 __hwasan_store8_noabort+0x88/0x98 lockdep_register_key+0x19c/0x1bc class_register+0x94/0x1ec init_module+0xbc/0xf48 [rfkill] do_one_initcall+0x17c/0x72c do_init_module+0x19c/0x3f8 ... Memory state around the buggy address: ffffff808b8c0100: 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a ffffff808b8c0200: 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a 8a fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe >ffffff808b8c0300: fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe fe ^ ffffff808b8c0400: 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 As CONFIG_KASAN_GENERIC is not set, Kasan reports invalid-access not use-after-free here.In this case, modprobe is manipulating the corrupted lock_keys_hash hlish where lock_class_key is already freed before. It's worth noting that this only can happen if lockdep is enabled, which is not true for normal system.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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