Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2023-53088 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 5564be74a22a61855f8b8c100d8c4abb003bb792, 0f4f4cf5d32f10543deb946a37111e714579511e, 0a3f4f1f9c27215e4ddcd312558342e57b93e518 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 0.2% 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 5564be74a22a61855f8b8c100d8c4abb003bb792 or 0f4f4cf5d32f10543deb946a37111e714579511e or 0a3f4f1f9c27215e4ddcd312558342e57b93e518 or 5.19, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 5.19 or 6.1.22 or 6.2.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6aeed9045071f2252ff4e98fc13d1e304f33e5b0 up to, but not including, 5564be74a22a61855f8b8c100d8c4abb003bb792; 6aeed9045071f2252ff4e98fc13d1e304f33e5b0 up to, but not including, 0f4f4cf5d32f10543deb946a37111e714579511e; 6aeed9045071f2252ff4e98fc13d1e304f33e5b0 up to, but not including, 0a3f4f1f9c27215e4ddcd312558342e57b93e518; a8a3e95c74e48c2c9b07b81fafda9122993f2e12; 5.18.10 up to, but not including, 5.19; 5.19 | 5564be74a22a61855f8b8c100d8c4abb003bb792, 0f4f4cf5d32f10543deb946a37111e714579511e, 0a3f4f1f9c27215e4ddcd312558342e57b93e518, 5.19 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.18.10 up to, but not including, 5.19; 5.19.1 up to, but not including, 6.1.22; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.2.8; 5.19; 6.3 | 5.19, 6.1.22, 6.2.8 |
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 system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mptcp: fix UaF in listener shutdown As reported by Christoph after having refactored the passive socket initialization, the mptcp listener shutdown path is prone to an UaF issue. BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in _raw_spin_lock_bh+0x73/0xe0 Write of size 4 at addr ffff88810cb23098 by task syz-executor731/1266 CPU: 1 PID: 1266 Comm: syz-executor731 Not tainted 6.2.0-rc59af4eaa31c1f6c00c8f1e448ed99a45c66340dd5 #6 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.13.0-0-gf21b5a4aeb02-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x6e/0x91 print_report+0x16a/0x46f kasan_report+0xad/0x130 kasan_check_range+0x14a/0x1a0 _raw_spin_lock_bh+0x73/0xe0 subflow_error_report+0x6d/0x110 sk_error_report+0x3b/0x190 tcp_disconnect+0x138c/0x1aa0 inet_child_forget+0x6f/0x2e0 inet_csk_listen_stop+0x209/0x1060 __mptcp_close_ssk+0x52d/0x610 mptcp_destroy_common+0x165/0x640 mptcp_destroy+0x13/0x80 __mptcp_destroy_sock+0xe7/0x270 __mptcp_close+0x70e/0x9b0 mptcp_close+0x2b/0x150 inet_release+0xe9/0x1f0 __sock_release+0xd2/0x280 sock_close+0x15/0x20 __fput+0x252/0xa20 task_work_run+0x169/0x250 exit_to_user_mode_prepare+0x113/0x120 syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x1d/0x40 do_syscall_64+0x48/0x90 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc The msk grace period can legitly expire in between the last reference count dropped in mptcp_subflow_queue_clean() and the later eventual access in inet_csk_listen_stop() After the previous patch we don't need anymore special-casing msk listener socket cleanup: the mptcp worker will process each of the unaccepted msk sockets. Just drop the now unnecessary code. Please note this commit depends on the two parent ones: mptcp: refactor passive socket initialization mptcp: use the workqueue to destroy unaccepted sockets
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: total).
- 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
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- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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