CVE-2023-52571 – This CVE describes a memory management vulnerab... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-52571?

CVE-2023-52571 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (HIGH). This CVE describes a memory management vulnerability in the Linux kernel's RK817 power supply driver where device tree node reference counts aren't properly released during error conditions. This can lead to kernel memory leaks, potentially causing system instability or denial of service. Affected systems are those running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with the RK817 power supply driver loaded.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a memory management vulnerability in the Linux kernel's RK817 power supply driver where device tree node reference counts aren't properly released during error conditions. This can lead to kernel memory leaks, potentially causing system instability or denial of service. Affected systems are those running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with the RK817 power supply driver loaded.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with RK817 power supply driver

Versions: Specific kernel versions containing the vulnerable code; check git commits for exact ranges

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable if RK817 power supply driver is loaded (typically on systems with RK817/RK809 PMIC hardware)

📦 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...

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

Sustained exploitation could exhaust kernel memory, leading to system crashes, denial of service, or potentially enabling other kernel vulnerabilities through memory corruption.

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory leak over time causing system instability, performance degradation, or eventual kernel panic requiring reboot.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper monitoring and timely patching; memory leaks would be detected and addressed before causing system failure.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel driver vulnerability requiring local access or kernel module loading capability.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be exploited by malicious local users or through other vulnerabilities that gain kernel access, potentially affecting system stability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires ability to trigger the vulnerable code path in the RK817 driver, typically through local access or kernel module manipulation.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing fixes from git commits: 488ef44c068e79752dba8eda0b75f524f111a695, 70326b46b6a043f7e7404b2ff678b033c06d6577, fe6406238d5a24e9fb0286c71edd67b99d8db58d

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/488ef44c068e79752dba8eda0b75f524f111a695

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to a patched kernel version from your distribution. 2. Reboot the system. 3. Verify the fix by checking kernel version and ensuring RK817 driver loads without errors.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable RK817 driver

linux

Prevent loading of the vulnerable RK817 power supply driver if not required

echo 'blacklist rk817_charger' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
update-initramfs -u

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor kernel memory usage and system logs for signs of memory leaks
Restrict local user access and kernel module loading capabilities

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if RK817 driver is loaded: lsmod | grep rk817; check kernel version against patched commits

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes the fix commits and monitor dmesg for RK817 driver errors

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages
Memory allocation failures in dmesg
RK817 driver error messages

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("rk817" OR "memory leak" OR "refcount")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-52571

CVSS v3 Score: 7.1 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-401

Published: March 2, 2024

Last Updated: April 8, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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