CVE-2023-53224: linux kernel — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: Fix function prototype mismatch for ext4_feat_ktype With clang's kernel control flow integrity (kCFI, CONFIG_CFI_CLANG), indirect call targets are validated against the expected function pointer prototype to make sure the call target is valid to help mitigate ROP attacks. If they are not identical, there is a failure at run time, which manifests as either a kernel panic or thread getting killed. ext4_feat_ktype was setting the "release" handler to "kfree", which doesn't have a matching function prototype. Add a simple wrapper with the correct prototype. This was found as a result of Clang's new -Wcast-function-type-strict flag, which is more sensitive than the simpler -Wcast-function-type, which only checks for type width mismatches. Note that this code is only reached when ext4 is a loadable module and it is being unloaded: CFI failure at kobject_put+0xbb/0x1b0 (target: kfree+0x0/0x180; expected type: 0x7c4aa698) ... RIP: 0010:kobject_put+0xbb/0x1b0 ... Call Trace: <TASK> ext4_exit_sysfs+0x14/0x60 [ext4] cleanup_module+0x67/0xedb [ext4]

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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-401 CWE-401

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	4.16 — 4.19.274
linux	linux_kernel	4.20 — 5.4.233
linux	linux_kernel	5.5 — 5.10.170
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.96
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.14
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.2.1

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a1394e07c5d6bf1bfc25db8589ff1b1bfb6f46a https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/118901ad1f25d2334255b3d50512fa20591531cd https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ba10d3640e9783dad811fe4e24d55465c37c64d https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2b69cdd9f9a7f596e3dd31f05f9852940d177924 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/94d8de83286fb1827340eba35b61c308f6b46ead https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99e3fd21f8fc975c95e8cf76fbf6a3d2656f8f71 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c98077f7598a562f51051eec043be0cb3e1b1b5e

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53224? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: Fix function prototype mismatch for ext4_feat_ktype With clang's kernel control flow integrity (kCFI, CONFIG_CFI_CLANG), indirect call targets are validated against the expected function pointer prototype to make sure the call target is valid to help mitigate ROP attacks. If they are not identical, there is a failure at run time, which manifests as either a kernel panic or thread getting killed. ext4_feat_ktype was setting the "release" handler to "kfree", which doesn't have a matching function prototype. Add a simple wrapper with the correct prototype. This was found as a result of Clang's new -Wcast-function-type-strict flag, which is more sensitive than the simpler -Wcast-function-type, which only checks for type width mismatches. Note that this code is only reached when ext4 is a loadable module and it is being unloaded: CFI failure at kobject_put+0xbb/0x1b0 (target: kfree+0x0/0x180; expected type: 0x7c4aa698) ... RIP: 0010:kobject_put+0xbb/0x1b0 ... Call Trace: <TASK> ext4_exit_sysfs+0x14/0x60 [ext4] cleanup_module+0x67/0xedb [ext4] It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2023-53224? +

CVE-2023-53224 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-2023-53224? +

CVE-2023-53224 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-2023-53224? +

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-2023-53224