CVE-2023-53168: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: ucsi_acpi: Increase the command completion timeout Commit 130a96d698d7 ("usb: typec: ucsi: acpi: Increase command completion timeout value") increased the timeout from 5 seconds to 60 seconds due to issues related to alternate mode discovery. After the alternate mode discovery switch to polled mode the timeout was reduced, but instead of being set back to 5 seconds it was reduced to 1 second. This is causing problems when using a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 yoga gen7 connected over Type-C to a LG 27UL850-W (charging DP over Type-C). When the monitor is already connected at boot the following error is logged: "PPM init failed (-110)", /sys/class/typec is empty and on unplugging the NULL pointer deref fixed earlier in this series happens. When the monitor is connected after boot the following error is logged instead: "GET_CONNECTOR_STATUS failed (-110)". Setting the timeout back to 5 seconds fixes both cases.

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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	5.16 — 6.1.22
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.2.9
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/02d210f434249a7edbc160969b75df030dc6934d https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e8525f37871741a52370627633962f8bdcab15a https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8346d21d1d8a63f46f60e6899f4f80b1306acf32

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53168? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: ucsi_acpi: Increase the command completion timeout Commit 130a96d698d7 ("usb: typec: ucsi: acpi: Increase command completion timeout value") increased the timeout from 5 seconds to 60 seconds due to issues related to alternate mode discovery. After the alternate mode discovery switch to polled mode the timeout was reduced, but instead of being set back to 5 seconds it was reduced to 1 second. This is causing problems when using a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 yoga gen7 connected over Type-C to a LG 27UL850-W (charging DP over Type-C). When the monitor is already connected at boot the following error is logged: "PPM init failed (-110)", /sys/class/typec is empty and on unplugging the NULL pointer deref fixed earlier in this series happens. When the monitor is connected after boot the following error is logged instead: "GET_CONNECTOR_STATUS failed (-110)". Setting the timeout back to 5 seconds fixes both cases. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2023-53168? +

CVE-2023-53168 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-2023-53168? +

CVE-2023-53168 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-2023-53168? +

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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