CVE-2023-52614 – A buffer overflow vulnerability in the Linux ke... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-52614?

CVE-2023-52614 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). A buffer overflow vulnerability in the Linux kernel's devfreq subsystem allows local attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. This affects systems with devfreq enabled, typically devices with dynamic frequency scaling like mobile devices and embedded systems. Attackers with local access can potentially crash the system or execute arbitrary code.

📋 TL;DR

A buffer overflow vulnerability in the Linux kernel's devfreq subsystem allows local attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. This affects systems with devfreq enabled, typically devices with dynamic frequency scaling like mobile devices and embedded systems. Attackers with local access can potentially crash the system or execute arbitrary code.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not specified in CVE, but patches available for multiple stable branches

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires devfreq subsystem to be enabled/compiled in kernel. Common on mobile/embedded devices with dynamic frequency scaling.

📦 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

Local privilege escalation to kernel mode, allowing complete system compromise and potential persistence mechanisms.

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel panic leading to denial of service (system crash) or information disclosure from kernel memory.

🟢

If Mitigated

System crash requiring reboot, with no data loss if applications have proper recovery mechanisms.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to the system; not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local attackers or compromised user accounts could exploit this vulnerability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and knowledge of devfreq interface. Buffer overflow in trans_stat_show function.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Multiple stable kernel versions with commits: 087de000e4f8c878c81d9dd3725f00a1d292980c, 08e23d05fa6dc4fc13da0ccf09defdd4bbc92ff4, 796d3fad8c35ee9df9027899fb90ceaeb41b958f, 8a7729cda2dd276d7a3994638038fb89035b6f2c, a979f56aa4b93579cf0e4265ae04d7e9300fd3e8

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

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repository. 2. Rebuild kernel if using custom kernel. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable devfreq subsystem

linux

Remove or disable devfreq module if not required for system operation

echo 'blacklist devfreq' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod devfreq

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict access to /sys/class/devfreq directory to privileged users only
Implement strict access controls and monitoring for local user accounts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if devfreq is enabled: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep devfreq'

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated and check for presence of patched commits in kernel source

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages
System crashes/reboots
Access to /sys/class/devfreq/*/trans_stat

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("oops" OR "panic") AND "devfreq"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-52614

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-120

Published: March 18, 2024

Last Updated: December 12, 2024

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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