CVE-2023-53515: linux kernel Use-After-Free — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virtio-mmio: don't break lifecycle of vm_dev vm_dev has a separate lifecycle because it has a 'struct device' embedded. Thus, having a release callback for it is correct. Allocating the vm_dev struct with devres totally breaks this protection, though. Instead of waiting for the vm_dev release callback, the memory is freed when the platform_device is removed. Resulting in a use-after-free when finally the callback is to be called. To easily see the problem, compile the kernel with CONFIG_DEBUG_KOBJECT_RELEASE and unbind with sysfs. The fix is easy, don't use devres in this case. Found during my research about object lifetime problems.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-416 Use After Free

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	4.15.1 — 4.19.293
linux	linux_kernel	4.20 — 5.4.255
linux	linux_kernel	5.5 — 5.10.192
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.128
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.47
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.4.12
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
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/2dcb368fe5a8eee498ca75c93a18ce2f3b0d6a8e https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ff54d904fafabd0912796785e53cce4e69ca123 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55c91fedd03d7b9cf0c5199b2eb12b9b8e95281a https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b7d5c2dd664eb8b9a06ecbc06e28d39359c422e https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97a2d55ead76358245b446efd87818e919196d7a https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af5818c35173e096085c6ae2e3aac605d3d15e41 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b788ad3b2468512339c05f23692e36860264e674

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53515? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virtio-mmio: don't break lifecycle of vm_dev vm_dev has a separate lifecycle because it has a 'struct device' embedded. Thus, having a release callback for it is correct. Allocating the vm_dev struct with devres totally breaks this protection, though. Instead of waiting for the vm_dev release callback, the memory is freed when the platform_device is removed. Resulting in a use-after-free when finally the callback is to be called. To easily see the problem, compile the kernel with CONFIG_DEBUG_KOBJECT_RELEASE and unbind with sysfs. The fix is easy, don't use devres in this case. Found during my research about object lifetime problems. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2023-53515? +

CVE-2023-53515 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-53515? +

CVE-2023-53515 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-2023-53515? +

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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