CVE-2023-52916
📋 TL;DR
A memory overwrite vulnerability in the Linux kernel's media/aspeed driver allows attackers to cause system crashes or potentially execute arbitrary code when capturing 1600x900 video resolution. This affects systems using OpenBMC with virtual media functionality and the specific kernel driver. Attackers could exploit this to crash systems or potentially gain elevated privileges.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with aspeed media driver
- OpenBMC implementations
- Systems with ASPEED AST2400/AST2500/AST2600 BMC chips
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to full system compromise, kernel privilege escalation, and persistent access to the BMC controller
Likely Case
System crash/denial of service when specific video resolution (1600x900) is used with virtual media functionality
If Mitigated
Limited to denial of service if memory protections prevent code execution
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires specific conditions: 1600x900 resolution, virtual media usage, and memory pressure. No public exploits known as of analysis.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel commits 4c823e4027dd1d6e88c31028dec13dd19bc7b02d and c281355068bc258fd619c5aefd978595bede7bfe
Vendor Advisory: https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: apply security updates from your vendor. 3. Reboot system to load patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid 1600x900 resolution
linuxPrevent use of 1600x900 video resolution on affected systems
Disable aspeed media driver
linuxUnload or blacklist the vulnerable driver if not needed
rmmod aspeed_video
echo 'blacklist aspeed_video' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to OpenBMC web interface to trusted networks only
- Monitor for system crashes when using virtual media with 1600x900 resolution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if aspeed_video driver is loaded: lsmod | grep aspeed_video. Check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits or is newer than vulnerable versions. Check dmesg for driver loading without errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- OOM killer activity when using virtual media
- aspeed_video driver crash messages in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to OpenBMC virtual media endpoints followed by system instability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "aspeed_video")