CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-52864NVD status: Modified

Linux: Out-of-bounds Write

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-52864 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write 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 cf098e937dd125c0317a0d6f261ac2a950a233d6, 9fb0eed09e1470cd4021ff52b2b9dfcbcee4c203, d426a2955e45a95b2282764105fcfb110a540453 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.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux to cf098e937dd125c0317a0d6f261ac2a950a233d6 or 9fb0eed09e1470cd4021ff52b2b9dfcbcee4c203 or d426a2955e45a95b2282764105fcfb110a540453 or e0bf076b734a2fab92d8fddc2b8b03462eee7097, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 4.19.299 or 5.4.261 or 5.10.201 or 5.15.139, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinux44b6b7661132b1b0e5fd3147ded66f1e4a817ca9 up to, but not including, cf098e937dd125c0317a0d6f261ac2a950a233d6; 44b6b7661132b1b0e5fd3147ded66f1e4a817ca9 up to, but not including, 9fb0eed09e1470cd4021ff52b2b9dfcbcee4c203; 44b6b7661132b1b0e5fd3147ded66f1e4a817ca9 up to, but not including, d426a2955e45a95b2282764105fcfb110a540453; 44b6b7661132b1b0e5fd3147ded66f1e4a817ca9 up to, but not including, e0bf076b734a2fab92d8fddc2b8b03462eee7097; 44b6b7661132b1b0e5fd3147ded66f1e4a817ca9 up to, but not including, 44a96796d25809502c75771d40ee693c2e44724e; 44b6b7661132b1b0e5fd3147ded66f1e4a817ca9 up to, but not including, 36d85fa7ae0d6be651c1a745191fa7ef055db43e; 44b6b7661132b1b0e5fd3147ded66f1e4a817ca9 up to, but not including, fb7b06b59c6887659c6ed0ecd3110835eecbb6a3; 44b6b7661132b1b0e5fd3147ded66f1e4a817ca9 up to, but not including, eba9ac7abab91c8f6d351460239108bef5e7a0b6; and 1 more rangescf098e937dd125c0317a0d6f261ac2a950a233d6, 9fb0eed09e1470cd4021ff52b2b9dfcbcee4c203, d426a2955e45a95b2282764105fcfb110a540453, e0bf076b734a2fab92d8fddc2b8b03462eee7097, 44a96796d25809502c75771d40ee693c2e44724e, 36d85fa7ae0d6be651c1a745191fa7ef055db43e
LinuxLinux Kernel4.15 up to, but not including, 4.19.299; 4.20 up to, but not including, 5.4.261; 5.5 up to, but not including, 5.10.201; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.139; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.63; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.5.12; 6.6 up to, but not including, 6.6.24.19.299, 5.4.261, 5.10.201, 5.15.139, 6.1.63, 6.5.12

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.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.0HighCNA
CVSS 3.17.8HighNVD

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: platform/x86: wmi: Fix opening of char device Since commit fa1f68db6ca7 ("drivers: misc: pass miscdevice pointer via file private data"), the miscdevice stores a pointer to itself inside filp->private_data, which means that private_data will not be NULL when wmi_char_open() is called. This might cause memory corruption should wmi_char_open() be unable to find its driver, something which can happen when the associated WMI device is deleted in wmi_free_devices(). Fix the problem by using the miscdevice pointer to retrieve the WMI device data associated with a char device using container_of(). This also avoids wmi_char_open() picking a wrong WMI device bound to a driver with the same name as the original driver.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Write

The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
  • Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.

More Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities (CWE-787)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities

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