CVE-2023-53549: linux kernel — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ipset: Rework long task execution when adding/deleting entries When adding/deleting large number of elements in one step in ipset, it can take a reasonable amount of time and can result in soft lockup errors. The patch 5f7b51bf09ba ("netfilter: ipset: Limit the maximal range of consecutive elements to add/delete") tried to fix it by limiting the max elements to process at all. However it was not enough, it is still possible that we get hung tasks. Lowering the limit is not reasonable, so the approach in this patch is as follows: rely on the method used at resizing sets and save the state when we reach a smaller internal batch limit, unlock/lock and proceed from the saved state. Thus we can avoid long continuous tasks and at the same time removed the limit to add/delete large number of elements in one step. The nfnl mutex is held during the whole operation which prevents one to issue other ipset commands in parallel.

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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-667 CWE-667

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	5.10.157 — 5.10.163
linux	linux_kernel	5.13.14 — 5.14
linux	linux_kernel	5.14.1 — 5.15.87
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.0.19
linux	linux_kernel	6.1 — 6.1.5
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/24a828f5a54bdeca0846526860d72b3766c5fe95 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e29dc36bd5e2166b834ceb19990d9e68a734d7d https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8964cc36ba011dc0e1041131fa2e91fb4c2a811b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1e1521b463968b4eca7163f61fb6cc54d008061 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee756980e491c829ba0495bb420b7224a9ee26b2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53549? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ipset: Rework long task execution when adding/deleting entries When adding/deleting large number of elements in one step in ipset, it can take a reasonable amount of time and can result in soft lockup errors. The patch 5f7b51bf09ba ("netfilter: ipset: Limit the maximal range of consecutive elements to add/delete") tried to fix it by limiting the max elements to process at all. However it was not enough, it is still possible that we get hung tasks. Lowering the limit is not reasonable, so the approach in this patch is as follows: rely on the method used at resizing sets and save the state when we reach a smaller internal batch limit, unlock/lock and proceed from the saved state. Thus we can avoid long continuous tasks and at the same time removed the limit to add/delete large number of elements in one step. The nfnl mutex is held during the whole operation which prevents one to issue other ipset commands in parallel. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2023-53549? +

CVE-2023-53549 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-2023-53549? +

CVE-2023-53549 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-2023-53549? +

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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