CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-53238NVD status: Modified

Linux: Out-of-bounds Read

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-53238 is a high-severity out-of-bounds read 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 2843a2e703f5cb85c9eeca11b7ee90861635a010, 195e806b2afb0bad6470c9094f7e45e0cf109ee0, ad249aa3c38f329f91fba8b4b3cd087e79fb0ce8 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 0.16% 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 2843a2e703f5cb85c9eeca11b7ee90861635a010 or 195e806b2afb0bad6470c9094f7e45e0cf109ee0 or ad249aa3c38f329f91fba8b4b3cd087e79fb0ce8 or 6d8a71e4c3a2fa4960cc50996e76a42b62fab677, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 4.19.291 or 5.4.253 or 5.10.190 or 5.15.124, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxba8b0ee81fbbc249e60f84bf097bd56e8047c742 up to, but not including, 2843a2e703f5cb85c9eeca11b7ee90861635a010; ba8b0ee81fbbc249e60f84bf097bd56e8047c742 up to, but not including, 195e806b2afb0bad6470c9094f7e45e0cf109ee0; ba8b0ee81fbbc249e60f84bf097bd56e8047c742 up to, but not including, ad249aa3c38f329f91fba8b4b3cd087e79fb0ce8; ba8b0ee81fbbc249e60f84bf097bd56e8047c742 up to, but not including, 6d8a71e4c3a2fa4960cc50996e76a42b62fab677; ba8b0ee81fbbc249e60f84bf097bd56e8047c742 up to, but not including, 01cb355bb92e8fcf8306e11a4774d610c5864e39; ba8b0ee81fbbc249e60f84bf097bd56e8047c742 up to, but not including, ce69eac840db0b559994dc4290fce3d7c0d7bccd; ba8b0ee81fbbc249e60f84bf097bd56e8047c742 up to, but not including, 13c088cf3657d70893d75cf116be937f1509cc0f; 4.172843a2e703f5cb85c9eeca11b7ee90861635a010, 195e806b2afb0bad6470c9094f7e45e0cf109ee0, ad249aa3c38f329f91fba8b4b3cd087e79fb0ce8, 6d8a71e4c3a2fa4960cc50996e76a42b62fab677, 01cb355bb92e8fcf8306e11a4774d610c5864e39, ce69eac840db0b559994dc4290fce3d7c0d7bccd
LinuxLinux Kernel4.17 up to, but not including, 4.19.291; 4.20 up to, but not including, 5.4.253; 5.5 up to, but not including, 5.10.190; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.124; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.43; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.4.8; 6.54.19.291, 5.4.253, 5.10.190, 5.15.124, 6.1.43, 6.4.8

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
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 NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.1HighNVD
CVSS 3.17.1HighCISA (ADP)

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: phy: hisilicon: Fix an out of bounds check in hisi_inno_phy_probe() The size of array 'priv->ports[]' is INNO_PHY_PORT_NUM. In the for loop, 'i' is used as the index for array 'priv->ports[]' with a check (i > INNO_PHY_PORT_NUM) which indicates that INNO_PHY_PORT_NUM is allowed value for 'i' in the same loop. This > comparison needs to be changed to >=, otherwise it potentially leads to an out of bounds write on the next iteration through the loop

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

The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Read

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

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.

More Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities (CWE-125)

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 Read vulnerabilities

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