CVE-2023-52457 – This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's 8250 s... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-52457?

CVE-2023-52457 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's 8250 serial driver for OMAP platforms causes a use-after-free condition when device removal fails. It allows potential kernel memory corruption and privilege escalation. Systems using affected Linux kernel versions with OMAP serial hardware are at risk.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's 8250 serial driver for OMAP platforms causes a use-after-free condition when device removal fails. It allows potential kernel memory corruption and privilege escalation. Systems using affected Linux kernel versions with OMAP serial hardware are at risk.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not explicitly stated in CVE, but patches exist in stable kernel trees. Likely affects versions before the fix commits.

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with OMAP platform serial hardware using the 8250 driver. Embedded systems and IoT devices using OMAP processors are particularly vulnerable.

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

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Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel panic, system crash, or privilege escalation leading to full system compromise via kernel memory corruption.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability, crashes, or denial of service when serial devices are removed or fail to initialize properly.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper kernel hardening and memory protection features enabled.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to trigger via serial device operations.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local attackers or privileged users could exploit this to escalate privileges or cause system instability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger serial device removal operations. Exploitation depends on specific hardware configuration.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees via provided git commits

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/828cd829483f0cda920710997aed79130b0af690

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to a patched Linux kernel version containing the fix commits. 2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable OMAP serial support

linux

Remove or disable the affected driver module if not needed

modprobe -r serial8250_omap
echo 'blacklist serial8250_omap' > /etc/modprobe.d/disable-omap-serial.conf

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict access to serial device operations to trusted users only
Implement kernel hardening features like KASLR and memory protection

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if serial8250_omap module is loaded: lsmod | grep serial8250_omap

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits or check that serial8250_omap module functions without crashes during device removal

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages
Use-after-free warnings in dmesg
Serial device removal errors

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

search 'kernel:.*use-after-free' OR 'kernel:.*serial8250_omap' in system logs

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-52457

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-416

Published: February 23, 2024

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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