Linux: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2023-52571 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 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 fe6406238d5a24e9fb0286c71edd67b99d8db58d, 70326b46b6a043f7e7404b2ff678b033c06d6577, 488ef44c068e79752dba8eda0b75f524f111a695 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 0.23% 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 fe6406238d5a24e9fb0286c71edd67b99d8db58d or 70326b46b6a043f7e7404b2ff678b033c06d6577 or 488ef44c068e79752dba8eda0b75f524f111a695 or 6.1.56, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.56 or 6.5.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 7d1e3961725e69774871b081a065c2b3640c5f0e up to, but not including, fe6406238d5a24e9fb0286c71edd67b99d8db58d; 54c03bfd094fb74f9533a9c28250219afe182382 up to, but not including, 70326b46b6a043f7e7404b2ff678b033c06d6577; 54c03bfd094fb74f9533a9c28250219afe182382 up to, but not including, 488ef44c068e79752dba8eda0b75f524f111a695; 6.1.2 up to, but not including, 6.1.56; 6.2 | fe6406238d5a24e9fb0286c71edd67b99d8db58d, 70326b46b6a043f7e7404b2ff678b033c06d6577, 488ef44c068e79752dba8eda0b75f524f111a695, 6.1.56 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.1.2 up to, but not including, 6.1.56; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.5.6; 6.6 | 6.1.56, 6.5.6 |
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
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- 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:N/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: power: supply: rk817: Fix node refcount leak Dan Carpenter reports that the Smatch static checker warning has found that there is another refcount leak in the probe function. While of_node_put() was added in one of the return paths, it should in fact be added for ALL return paths that return an error and at driver removal time.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers. When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC). To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Consider using the Boehm-Demers-Weiser garbage collector (bdwgc), which can help avoid leaks.
More Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities (CWE-401)
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 Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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