CVE-2023-53010
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Linux kernel's bnxt driver, triggered when concatenating test names during ethtool initialization. It allows local attackers to potentially crash the kernel or execute arbitrary code. Affected systems are those running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with the bnxt driver loaded.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation leading to full system compromise via kernel code execution.
Likely Case
Kernel panic or denial of service (DoS) causing system instability or crashes.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if kernel hardening features like KASLR or stack canaries are enabled, likely resulting in a crash only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation likely involves triggering ethtool operations; no known public exploits as of analysis.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions including commits cefa85480ac99c0bef5a09daadb48d65fc28e279 and d3e599c090fc6977331150c5f0a69ab8ce87da21.
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cefa85480ac99c0bef5a09daadb48d65fc28e279
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update the Linux kernel to a patched version from your distribution's repository. 2. Reboot the system to load the new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable bnxt driver
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable bnxt driver to mitigate risk.
echo 'blacklist bnxt' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod bnxt
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local access to trusted users only to reduce attack surface.
- Monitor system logs for kernel panics or buffer overflow detections related to bnxt.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if the bnxt driver is loaded: lsmod | grep bnxt. If loaded, verify kernel version against patched commits.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, ensure the bnxt driver loads without errors and check kernel version includes the fix commits.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel logs showing 'detected buffer overflow in strnlen' or 'bnxt_ethtool_init.cold' errors.
Network Indicators:
- None, as this is a local vulnerability.
SIEM Query:
Example: search 'detected buffer overflow' AND 'bnxt' in kernel logs.