CVE-2023-52991: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: fix NULL pointer in skb_segment_list Commit 3a1296a38d0c ("net: Support GRO/GSO fraglist chaining.") introduced UDP listifyed GRO. The segmentation relies on frag_list being untouched when passing through the network stack. This assumption can be broken sometimes, where frag_list itself gets pulled into linear area, leaving frag_list being NULL. When this happens it can trigger following NULL pointer dereference, and panic the kernel. Reverse the test condition should fix it. [19185.577801][ C1] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: ... [19185.663775][ C1] RIP: 0010:skb_segment_list+0x1cc/0x390 ... [19185.834644][ C1] Call Trace: [19185.841730][ C1] <TASK> [19185.848563][ C1] __udp_gso_segment+0x33e/0x510 [19185.857370][ C1] inet_gso_segment+0x15b/0x3e0 [19185.866059][ C1] skb_mac_gso_segment+0x97/0x110 [19185.874939][ C1] __skb_gso_segment+0xb2/0x160 [19185.883646][ C1] udp_queue_rcv_skb+0xc3/0x1d0 [19185.892319][ C1] udp_unicast_rcv_skb+0x75/0x90 [19185.900979][ C1] ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0xd2/0x200 [19185.910003][ C1] ip_local_deliver_finish+0x44/0x60 [19185.918757][ C1] __netif_receive_skb_one_core+0x8b/0xa0 [19185.927834][ C1] process_backlog+0x88/0x130 [19185.935840][ C1] __napi_poll+0x27/0x150 [19185.943447][ C1] net_rx_action+0x27e/0x5f0 [19185.951331][ C1] ? mlx5_cq_tasklet_cb+0x70/0x160 [mlx5_core] [19185.960848][ C1] __do_softirq+0xbc/0x25d [19185.968607][ C1] irq_exit_rcu+0x83/0xb0 [19185.976247][ C1] common_interrupt+0x43/0xa0 [19185.984235][ C1] asm_common_interrupt+0x22/0x40 ... [19186.094106][ C1] </TASK>

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-476 CWE-476

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	5.6 — 5.10.167
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.92
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.10
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/046de74f9af92ae9ffce75fa22a1795223f4fb54 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6446369fb9f083ce032448c5047da08e298b22e6 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/876e8ca8366735a604bac86ff7e2732fc9d85d2d https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/888dad6f3e85e3b2f8389bd6478f181efc72534d

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-52991? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: fix NULL pointer in skb_segment_list Commit 3a1296a38d0c ("net: Support GRO/GSO fraglist chaining.") introduced UDP listifyed GRO. The segmentation relies on frag_list being untouched when passing through the network stack. This assumption can be broken sometimes, where frag_list itself gets pulled into linear area, leaving frag_list being NULL. When this happens it can trigger following NULL pointer dereference, and panic the kernel. Reverse the test condition should fix it. [19185.577801][ C1] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: ... [19185.663775][ C1] RIP: 0010:skb_segment_list+0x1cc/0x390 ... [19185.834644][ C1] Call Trace: [19185.841730][ C1] <TASK> [19185.848563][ C1] __udp_gso_segment+0x33e/0x510 [19185.857370][ C1] inet_gso_segment+0x15b/0x3e0 [19185.866059][ C1] skb_mac_gso_segment+0x97/0x110 [19185.874939][ C1] __skb_gso_segment+0xb2/0x160 [19185.883646][ C1] udp_queue_rcv_skb+0xc3/0x1d0 [19185.892319][ C1] udp_unicast_rcv_skb+0x75/0x90 [19185.900979][ C1] ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0xd2/0x200 [19185.910003][ C1] ip_local_deliver_finish+0x44/0x60 [19185.918757][ C1] __netif_receive_skb_one_core+0x8b/0xa0 [19185.927834][ C1] process_backlog+0x88/0x130 [19185.935840][ C1] __napi_poll+0x27/0x150 [19185.943447][ C1] net_rx_action+0x27e/0x5f0 [19185.951331][ C1] ? mlx5_cq_tasklet_cb+0x70/0x160 [mlx5_core] [19185.960848][ C1] __do_softirq+0xbc/0x25d [19185.968607][ C1] irq_exit_rcu+0x83/0xb0 [19185.976247][ C1] common_interrupt+0x43/0xa0 [19185.984235][ C1] asm_common_interrupt+0x22/0x40 ... [19186.094106][ C1] </TASK> It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2023-52991? +

CVE-2023-52991 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-52991? +

CVE-2023-52991 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2023-52991? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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CVE-2023-52991