Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2023-53037 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 1f822ae8fb2a20fffa71e9bfa9b203c03d72d3ba, aa11e4b6cdb403b9fdef6939550f6b36dd61624d, 8e45183978d64699df639e795235433a60f35047 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 0.21% 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 1f822ae8fb2a20fffa71e9bfa9b203c03d72d3ba or aa11e4b6cdb403b9fdef6939550f6b36dd61624d or 8e45183978d64699df639e795235433a60f35047, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.22 or 6.2.9, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | c4f7ac64616ee513f9ac4ae6c4d8c3cccb6974df up to, but not including, 1f822ae8fb2a20fffa71e9bfa9b203c03d72d3ba; c4f7ac64616ee513f9ac4ae6c4d8c3cccb6974df up to, but not including, aa11e4b6cdb403b9fdef6939550f6b36dd61624d; c4f7ac64616ee513f9ac4ae6c4d8c3cccb6974df up to, but not including, 8e45183978d64699df639e795235433a60f35047; 5.14 | 1f822ae8fb2a20fffa71e9bfa9b203c03d72d3ba, aa11e4b6cdb403b9fdef6939550f6b36dd61624d, 8e45183978d64699df639e795235433a60f35047 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.14 up to, but not including, 6.1.22; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.2.9; 6.3 | 6.1.22, 6.2.9 |
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: scsi: mpi3mr: Bad drive in topology results kernel crash When the SAS Transport Layer support is enabled and a device exposed to the OS by the driver fails INQUIRY commands, the driver frees up the memory allocated for an internal HBA port data structure. However, in some places, the reference to the freed memory is not cleared. When the firmware sends the Device Info change event for the same device again, the freed memory is accessed and that leads to memory corruption and OS crash.
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
- 7.8 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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