Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2023-53629 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 84d6ce2aef1d06a53f606211da68a2085dfeb50d, a3b0e9ac3c2447008db942d51f593841d8329e99, a2de9f9b686c71b4fa3663ae374f5f643c46a446 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 0.5% 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 84d6ce2aef1d06a53f606211da68a2085dfeb50d or a3b0e9ac3c2447008db942d51f593841d8329e99 or a2de9f9b686c71b4fa3663ae374f5f643c46a446 or 724b6bab0d75f1dc01fdfbf7fe8d4217a5cb90ba, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.20 or 6.2.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 489d8e559c6596eb08e16447d9830bc39afbe54e up to, but not including, 84d6ce2aef1d06a53f606211da68a2085dfeb50d; 489d8e559c6596eb08e16447d9830bc39afbe54e up to, but not including, a3b0e9ac3c2447008db942d51f593841d8329e99; 489d8e559c6596eb08e16447d9830bc39afbe54e up to, but not including, a2de9f9b686c71b4fa3663ae374f5f643c46a446; 489d8e559c6596eb08e16447d9830bc39afbe54e up to, but not including, 724b6bab0d75f1dc01fdfbf7fe8d4217a5cb90ba; 5.14 | 84d6ce2aef1d06a53f606211da68a2085dfeb50d, a3b0e9ac3c2447008db942d51f593841d8329e99, a2de9f9b686c71b4fa3663ae374f5f643c46a446, 724b6bab0d75f1dc01fdfbf7fe8d4217a5cb90ba |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.14 up to, but not including, 6.1.20; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.2.3 | 6.1.20, 6.2.3 |
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 | 9.8 | Critical | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs: dlm: fix use after free in midcomms commit While working on processing dlm message in softirq context I experienced the following KASAN use-after-free warning: [ 151.760477] ================================================================== [ 151.761803] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in dlm_midcomms_commit_mhandle+0x19d/0x4b0 [ 151.763414] Read of size 4 at addr ffff88811a980c60 by task lock_torture/1347 [ 151.765284] CPU: 7 PID: 1347 Comm: lock_torture Not tainted 6.1.0-rc4+ #2828 [ 151.766778] Hardware name: Red Hat KVM/RHEL-AV, BIOS 1.16.0-3.module+el8.7.0+16134+e5908aa2 04/01/2014 [ 151.768726] Call Trace: [ 151.769277] <TASK> [ 151.769748] dump_stack_lvl+0x5b/0x86 [ 151.770556] print_report+0x180/0x4c8 [ 151.771378] ? kasan_complete_mode_report_info+0x7c/0x1e0 [ 151.772241] ? dlm_midcomms_commit_mhandle+0x19d/0x4b0 [ 151.773069] kasan_report+0x93/0x1a0 [ 151.773668] ? dlm_midcomms_commit_mhandle+0x19d/0x4b0 [ 151.774514] __asan_load4+0x7e/0xa0 [ 151.775089] dlm_midcomms_commit_mhandle+0x19d/0x4b0 [ 151.775890] ? create_message.isra.29.constprop.64+0x57/0xc0 [ 151.776770] send_common+0x19f/0x1b0 [ 151.777342] ? remove_from_waiters+0x60/0x60 [ 151.778017] ? lock_downgrade+0x410/0x410 [ 151.778648] ? __this_cpu_preempt_check+0x13/0x20 [ 151.779421] ? rcu_lockdep_current_cpu_online+0x88/0xc0 [ 151.780292] _convert_lock+0x46/0x150 [ 151.780893] convert_lock+0x7b/0xc0 [ 151.781459] dlm_lock+0x3ac/0x580 [ 151.781993] ? 0xffffffffc0540000 [ 151.782522] ? torture_stop+0x120/0x120 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.783379] ? dlm_scan_rsbs+0xa70/0xa70 [ 151.784003] ? preempt_count_sub+0xd6/0x130 [ 151.784661] ? is_module_address+0x47/0x70 [ 151.785309] ? torture_stop+0x120/0x120 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.786166] ? 0xffffffffc0540000 [ 151.786693] ? lockdep_init_map_type+0xc3/0x360 [ 151.787414] ? 0xffffffffc0540000 [ 151.787947] torture_dlm_lock_sync.isra.3+0xe9/0x150 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.789004] ? torture_stop+0x120/0x120 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.789858] ? 0xffffffffc0540000 [ 151.790392] ? lock_torture_cleanup+0x20/0x20 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.791347] ? delay_tsc+0x94/0xc0 [ 151.791898] torture_ex_iter+0xc3/0xea [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.792735] ? torture_start+0x30/0x30 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.793606] lock_torture+0x177/0x270 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.794448] ? torture_dlm_lock_sync.isra.3+0x150/0x150 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.795539] ? lock_torture_stats+0x80/0x80 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.796476] ? do_raw_spin_lock+0x11e/0x1e0 [ 151.797152] ? mark_held_locks+0x34/0xb0 [ 151.797784] ? _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore+0x30/0x70 [ 151.798581] ? __kthread_parkme+0x79/0x110 [ 151.799246] ? trace_preempt_on+0x2a/0xf0 [ 151.799902] ? __kthread_parkme+0x79/0x110 [ 151.800579] ? preempt_count_sub+0xd6/0x130 [ 151.801271] ? __kasan_check_read+0x11/0x20 [ 151.801963] ? __kthread_parkme+0xec/0x110 [ 151.802630] ? lock_torture_stats+0x80/0x80 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.803569] kthread+0x192/0x1d0 [ 151.804104] ? kthread_complete_and_exit+0x30/0x30 [ 151.804881] ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 [ 151.805480] </TASK> [ 151.806111] Allocated by task 1347: [ 151.806681] kasan_save_stack+0x26/0x50 [ 151.807308] kasan_set_track+0x25/0x30 [ 151.807920] kasan_save_alloc_info+0x1e/0x30 [ 151.808609] __kasan_slab_alloc+0x63/0x80 [ 151.809263] kmem_cache_alloc+0x1ad/0x830 [ 151.809916] dlm_allocate_mhandle+0x17/0x20 [ 151.810590] dlm_midcomms_get_mhandle+0x96/0x260 [ 151.811344] _create_message+0x95/0x180 [ 151.811994] create_message.isra.29.constprop.64+0x57/0xc0 [ 151.812880] send_common+0x129/0x1b0 [ 151.813467] _convert_lock+0x46/0x150 [ 151.814074] convert_lock+0x7b/0xc0 [ 151.814648] dlm_lock+0x3ac/0x580 [ 151.815199] torture_dlm_lock_sync.isra.3+0xe9/0x150 [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.816258] torture_ex_iter+0xc3/0xea [dlm_locktorture] [ 151.817129] lock_t ---truncated---
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: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other references
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