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CVE-2023-53259NVD status: Analyzed

Linux: Out-of-bounds Read

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-53259 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 b4239bfb260d1e6837766c41a0b241d7670f1402, d4198f67e7556b1507f14f60d81a72660e5560e4, a3c89e8c69a58f62451c0a75b77fcab25979b897 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 0.15% 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 b4239bfb260d1e6837766c41a0b241d7670f1402 or d4198f67e7556b1507f14f60d81a72660e5560e4 or a3c89e8c69a58f62451c0a75b77fcab25979b897 or 055891397f530f9b1b22be38d7eca8b08382941f, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.4.296 or 5.10.240 or 5.15.99 or 6.1.16, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxa1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc up to, but not including, b4239bfb260d1e6837766c41a0b241d7670f1402; a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc up to, but not including, d4198f67e7556b1507f14f60d81a72660e5560e4; a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc up to, but not including, a3c89e8c69a58f62451c0a75b77fcab25979b897; a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc up to, but not including, 055891397f530f9b1b22be38d7eca8b08382941f; a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc up to, but not including, 91b8e4f61f8f4594ee65368c8d89e6fdc29d3fb1; a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc up to, but not including, 1a726cb47fd204109c767409fa9ca15a96328f14; 4.0b4239bfb260d1e6837766c41a0b241d7670f1402, d4198f67e7556b1507f14f60d81a72660e5560e4, a3c89e8c69a58f62451c0a75b77fcab25979b897, 055891397f530f9b1b22be38d7eca8b08382941f, 91b8e4f61f8f4594ee65368c8d89e6fdc29d3fb1, 1a726cb47fd204109c767409fa9ca15a96328f14
LinuxLinux Kernel4.0 up to, but not including, 5.4.296; 5.5 up to, but not including, 5.10.240; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.99; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.16; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.2.35.4.296, 5.10.240, 5.15.99, 6.1.16, 6.2.3
DebianDebian Linux11.0Not stated

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.

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: VMCI: check context->notify_page after call to get_user_pages_fast() to avoid GPF The call to get_user_pages_fast() in vmci_host_setup_notify() can return NULL context->notify_page causing a GPF. To avoid GPF check if context->notify_page == NULL and return error if so. general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xe0009d1000000060: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN NOPTI KASAN: maybe wild-memory-access in range [0x0005088000000300- 0x0005088000000307] CPU: 2 PID: 26180 Comm: repro_34802241 Not tainted 6.1.0-rc4 #1 Hardware name: Red Hat KVM, BIOS 1.15.0-2.module+el8.6.0 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:vmci_ctx_check_signal_notify+0x91/0xe0 Call Trace: <TASK> vmci_host_unlocked_ioctl+0x362/0x1f40 __x64_sys_ioctl+0x1a1/0x230 do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x90 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd

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

Third-party and government advisories

Recent Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities

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