Linux: Integer Overflow or Wraparound
CVE-2023-53570 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 e642eb67b8c10dcce758d549cc81564116e0fa49, 7d09f9f255a5f78578deba5454923072bb53b16c, 6311071a056272e1e761de8d0305e87cc566f734 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.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to e642eb67b8c10dcce758d549cc81564116e0fa49 or 7d09f9f255a5f78578deba5454923072bb53b16c or 6311071a056272e1e761de8d0305e87cc566f734, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.46 or 6.4.11, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | dc1e3cb8da8b414b37208b2fb6755fef8122504b up to, but not including, e642eb67b8c10dcce758d549cc81564116e0fa49; dc1e3cb8da8b414b37208b2fb6755fef8122504b up to, but not including, 7d09f9f255a5f78578deba5454923072bb53b16c; dc1e3cb8da8b414b37208b2fb6755fef8122504b up to, but not including, 6311071a056272e1e761de8d0305e87cc566f734; 5.16 | e642eb67b8c10dcce758d549cc81564116e0fa49, 7d09f9f255a5f78578deba5454923072bb53b16c, 6311071a056272e1e761de8d0305e87cc566f734 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.46; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.4.11; 6.5 | 6.1.46, 6.4.11 |
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: wifi: nl80211: fix integer overflow in nl80211_parse_mbssid_elems() nl80211_parse_mbssid_elems() uses a u8 variable num_elems to count the number of MBSSID elements in the nested netlink attribute attrs, which can lead to an integer overflow if a user of the nl80211 interface specifies 256 or more elements in the corresponding attribute in userspace. The integer overflow can lead to a heap buffer overflow as num_elems determines the size of the trailing array in elems, and this array is thereafter written to for each element in attrs. Note that this vulnerability only affects devices with the wiphy->mbssid_max_interfaces member set for the wireless physical device struct in the device driver, and can only be triggered by a process with CAP_NET_ADMIN capabilities. Fix this by checking for a maximum of 255 elements in attrs.
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
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Integer Overflow or Wraparound vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
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