Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2023-53322 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 8a55556cd7e0220486163b1285ce11a8be2ce5fa, 4647d2e88918a078359d1532d90c417a38542c9e, d25fded78d88e1515439b3ba581684d683e0b6ab 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 0.22% 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 8a55556cd7e0220486163b1285ce11a8be2ce5fa or 4647d2e88918a078359d1532d90c417a38542c9e or d25fded78d88e1515439b3ba581684d683e0b6ab or a9fe97fb7b4ee21bffb76f2acb05769bad27ae70, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 4.14.322 or 4.19.291 or 5.4.251 or 5.10.188, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 715848ca6fffeb6362a50887d9c26245bd5dfba9 up to, but not including, 8a55556cd7e0220486163b1285ce11a8be2ce5fa; 715848ca6fffeb6362a50887d9c26245bd5dfba9 up to, but not including, 4647d2e88918a078359d1532d90c417a38542c9e; 715848ca6fffeb6362a50887d9c26245bd5dfba9 up to, but not including, d25fded78d88e1515439b3ba581684d683e0b6ab; 715848ca6fffeb6362a50887d9c26245bd5dfba9 up to, but not including, a9fe97fb7b4ee21bffb76f2acb05769bad27ae70; 715848ca6fffeb6362a50887d9c26245bd5dfba9 up to, but not including, 079c8264ed9fea8cbcac01ad29040f901cbc3692; 715848ca6fffeb6362a50887d9c26245bd5dfba9 up to, but not including, 90770dad1eb30967ebd8d37d82830bcf270b3293; 715848ca6fffeb6362a50887d9c26245bd5dfba9 up to, but not including, 5bcdaafd92be6035ddc77fa76650cf9dd5b864c4; 715848ca6fffeb6362a50887d9c26245bd5dfba9 up to, but not including, fc0cba0c7be8261a1625098bd1d695077ec621c9; and 1 more ranges | 8a55556cd7e0220486163b1285ce11a8be2ce5fa, 4647d2e88918a078359d1532d90c417a38542c9e, d25fded78d88e1515439b3ba581684d683e0b6ab, a9fe97fb7b4ee21bffb76f2acb05769bad27ae70, 079c8264ed9fea8cbcac01ad29040f901cbc3692, 90770dad1eb30967ebd8d37d82830bcf270b3293 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | before 4.14.322; 4.15 up to, but not including, 4.19.291; 4.20 up to, but not including, 5.4.251; 5.5 up to, but not including, 5.10.188; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.121; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.40; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.4.5 | 4.14.322, 4.19.291, 5.4.251, 5.10.188, 5.15.121, 6.1.40 |
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 | 8.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: scsi: qla2xxx: Wait for io return on terminate rport System crash due to use after free. Current code allows terminate_rport_io to exit before making sure all IOs has returned. For FCP-2 device, IO's can hang on in HW because driver has not tear down the session in FW at first sign of cable pull. When dev_loss_tmo timer pops, terminate_rport_io is called and upper layer is about to free various resources. Terminate_rport_io trigger qla to do the final cleanup, but the cleanup might not be fast enough where it leave qla still holding on to the same resource. Wait for IO's to return to upper layer before resources are freed.
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
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/079c8264ed9fea8cbcac01ad29040f901cbc3692
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4647d2e88918a078359d1532d90c417a38542c9e
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5bcdaafd92be6035ddc77fa76650cf9dd5b864c4
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a55556cd7e0220486163b1285ce11a8be2ce5fa
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/90770dad1eb30967ebd8d37d82830bcf270b3293
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a9fe97fb7b4ee21bffb76f2acb05769bad27ae70
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d25fded78d88e1515439b3ba581684d683e0b6ab
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc0cba0c7be8261a1625098bd1d695077ec621c9
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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