CVE-2023-52936
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's IRQ domain subsystem. When debugfs_lookup() is called without proper cleanup, kernel memory gradually leaks over time. This affects all Linux systems using vulnerable kernel versions.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, crashes, or denial of service.
Likely Case
Gradual memory consumption over time leading to performance degradation and potential system instability.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory management controls in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering the specific debugfs code path in the IRQ domain subsystem, typically requiring local access or kernel-level control.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check specific kernel versions from git commits: 066ecbf1a53eb0b92b10c8df7808666be6ea5681, cf1c917bf1c761a557b26410024e90057646c049, d83d7ed260283560700d4034a80baad46620481b
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/066ecbf1a53eb0b92b10c8df7808666be6ea5681
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable debugfs
linuxMount debugfs with noexec or disable it entirely to prevent triggering the vulnerable code path
mount -o remount,noexec /sys/kernel/debug
echo 'debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noexec 0 0' >> /etc/fstab
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement kernel memory monitoring and alerting for unusual consumption patterns
- Restrict access to debugfs interface to privileged users only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and compare against patched versions in git commits. Examine if debugfs is mounted and accessible.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version matches patched version. Check that debugfs_lookup_and_remove() is used instead of debugfs_lookup() in kernel/irq/irqdomain.c.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages
- Out of memory errors in kernel logs
- Increasing kernel memory usage over time
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "kernel panic" OR "Oops")