CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-53524NVD status: Analyzed

Linux: Integer Overflow or Wraparound

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-53524 is a high-severity integer overflow or wraparound 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 0ad8dd870aa187d0c21d032bb2c6433559075eec, 059e426d666a41e26b184c177c1ca3ee2d6fa1b6, 82f877ec9b041edc4c7c509c605cc3393d837bf0 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 0.17% 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 0ad8dd870aa187d0c21d032bb2c6433559075eec or 059e426d666a41e26b184c177c1ca3ee2d6fa1b6 or 82f877ec9b041edc4c7c509c605cc3393d837bf0 or eb1ef44efac797b384d361a76e33f77027c29a14, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.4.244 or 5.10.181 or 5.15.113 or 6.1.30, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxf7805b33f9b13a87b1fcf9dfbc3dcbce281a1436 up to, but not including, 0ad8dd870aa187d0c21d032bb2c6433559075eec; f7805b33f9b13a87b1fcf9dfbc3dcbce281a1436 up to, but not including, 059e426d666a41e26b184c177c1ca3ee2d6fa1b6; f7805b33f9b13a87b1fcf9dfbc3dcbce281a1436 up to, but not including, 82f877ec9b041edc4c7c509c605cc3393d837bf0; f7805b33f9b13a87b1fcf9dfbc3dcbce281a1436 up to, but not including, eb1ef44efac797b384d361a76e33f77027c29a14; f7805b33f9b13a87b1fcf9dfbc3dcbce281a1436 up to, but not including, de78456976026102babe66258c228691ca5677c0; f7805b33f9b13a87b1fcf9dfbc3dcbce281a1436 up to, but not including, 58d1b717879bfeabe09b35e41ad667c79933eb2e; 5.00ad8dd870aa187d0c21d032bb2c6433559075eec, 059e426d666a41e26b184c177c1ca3ee2d6fa1b6, 82f877ec9b041edc4c7c509c605cc3393d837bf0, eb1ef44efac797b384d361a76e33f77027c29a14, de78456976026102babe66258c228691ca5677c0, 58d1b717879bfeabe09b35e41ad667c79933eb2e
LinuxLinux Kernel5.0 up to, but not including, 5.4.244; 5.5 up to, but not including, 5.10.181; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.113; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.30; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.3.45.4.244, 5.10.181, 5.15.113, 6.1.30, 6.3.4

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: wifi: iwlwifi: pcie: Fix integer overflow in iwl_write_to_user_buf An integer overflow occurs in the iwl_write_to_user_buf() function, which is called by the iwl_dbgfs_monitor_data_read() function. static bool iwl_write_to_user_buf(char __user *user_buf, ssize_t count, void *buf, ssize_t *size, ssize_t *bytes_copied) { int buf_size_left = count - *bytes_copied; buf_size_left = buf_size_left - (buf_size_left % sizeof(u32)); if (*size > buf_size_left) *size = buf_size_left; If the user passes a SIZE_MAX value to the "ssize_t count" parameter, the ssize_t count parameter is assigned to "int buf_size_left". Then compare "*size" with "buf_size_left" . Here, "buf_size_left" is a negative number, so "*size" is assigned "buf_size_left" and goes into the third argument of the copy_to_user function, causing a heap overflow. This is not a security vulnerability because iwl_dbgfs_monitor_data_read() is a debugfs operation with 0400 privileges.

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

The underlying weakness: Integer Overflow or Wraparound

The product performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may become a very small or negative number.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Ensure that all protocols are strictly defined, such that all out-of-bounds behavior can be identified simply, and require strict conformance to the protocol.
  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. If possible, choose a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Use libraries or frameworks that make it easier to handle numbers without unexpected consequences. Examples include safe integer handling packages such as SafeInt (C++) or IntegerLib (C or C++).

More Integer Overflow or Wraparound vulnerabilities (CWE-190)

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 Integer Overflow or Wraparound vulnerabilities

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