CVE-2023-52899
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's AXI DMA driver. When exceptional conditions occur, the axi_chan_handle_err function fails to validate a pointer before accessing it, causing a kernel panic. This affects systems using the affected kernel versions with AXI DMA functionality enabled.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 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 →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 leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially causing data loss or service disruption.
Likely Case
System crash or instability when exceptional DMA error conditions occur, resulting in denial of service.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if systems are properly segmented and have redundancy, though crashes may still occur.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to trigger exceptional DMA error conditions. No known public exploits exist.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits referenced in CVE)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/20d0a6d17e85a8a816a64fa7d7cae616f1617833
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to a patched kernel version from your distribution vendor. 2. Apply the specific kernel patch if building from source. 3. Reboot the system to load the new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable AXI DMA module
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable AXI DMA driver module
echo 'blacklist dw_axi_dmac' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod dw_axi_dmac
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to systems to prevent local users from triggering DMA operations
- Implement system monitoring for kernel panics and have recovery procedures ready
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if dw_axi_dmac module is loaded: lsmod | grep dw_axi_dmac. Check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated beyond vulnerable versions. Check that axi_chan_handle_err function includes NULL pointer checks.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages mentioning 'axi_chan_handle_err'
- NULL pointer dereference errors at address 0000000000000060
- DMA error messages in kernel logs
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local kernel vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("axi_chan_handle_err" OR "NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/20d0a6d17e85a8a816a64fa7d7cae616f1617833
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5054d001ffaf76155637c5e5b922c11016cd6a5d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/51a7ad5b60efac65691729d10745c28fa1016b96
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/53dd833fd0a2d8f0118d01ea063a70652689d31e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/57054fe516d59d03a7bcf1888e82479ccc244f87
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f534dc438828cc3f1f8c6895b8bdfbef079521fb
