CVE-2023-53056
📋 TL;DR
A race condition in the QLogic Fibre Channel driver (qla2xxx) in Linux kernel versions before the fix can cause IOCB counts to become out of order, leading to a system hang due to a NULL pointer dereference. This affects systems using QLogic Fibre Channel adapters with NVMe over Fabrics. The vulnerability requires local access to trigger.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with qla2xxx driver
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system hang requiring hard reboot, causing denial of service and potential data loss or corruption.
Likely Case
System hang during NVMe controller deletion operations, requiring reboot to recover.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched or if system doesn't use affected QLogic hardware with NVMe over Fabrics.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger NVMe controller deletion operations. The race condition makes timing somewhat unpredictable.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel versions containing fixes from stable trees (commits listed in references)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6295b3ec64a3623fa96869ffb7cf17d0b3c92035
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing fixes. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel. 4. Verify qla2xxx driver version matches patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable NVMe over Fabrics on QLogic adapters
linuxPrevent triggering of vulnerable code path by disabling NVMe over Fabrics functionality
echo 'options qla2xxx ql2xnvmeenable=0' > /etc/modprobe.d/qla2xxx-disable-nvme.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot
Blacklist qla2xxx module
linuxCompletely disable QLogic driver if not needed
echo 'blacklist qla2xxx' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-qla2xxx.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to NVMe management commands
- Monitor systems for kernel panics related to qla2xxx driver and have reboot procedures ready
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if qla2xxx module is loaded: uname -r && lsmod | grep qla2xxxCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version is patched and no system hangs occur during NVMe operations📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic/Oops messages mentioning qla2xxx, __wake_up_common, or NULL pointer dereference
- System hang/crash during NVMe operations
Network Indicators:
- Sudden loss of Fibre Channel connectivity
SIEM Query:
event_source="kernel" AND (message:"qla2xxx" OR message:"NULL pointer dereference" OR message:"Oops")