CVE-2023-53096
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's interconnect subsystem. When nodes are destroyed, the kernel fails to deallocate previously allocated node link arrays, leading to gradual memory exhaustion. This affects all systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with the interconnect subsystem 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or potential kernel crashes.
Likely Case
Gradual memory consumption over time leading to performance degradation and eventual system instability or crashes.
If Mitigated
With proper monitoring and memory limits, impact is limited to performance degradation rather than complete system failure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to trigger node creation/destruction in interconnect subsystem, typically requiring local access or kernel module interaction.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Multiple stable kernel versions with fixes available (see git references)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e0b13a1827229a02abef97b50ffaf89ba25370a
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable interconnect subsystem
linuxRemove or disable kernel modules using interconnect subsystem if not required
modprobe -r [interconnect_module]
echo 'blacklist [interconnect_module]' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement memory usage monitoring and alerts for kernel memory exhaustion
- Restrict local user access and limit kernel module loading capabilities
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and compare against patched versions in git references. Use 'uname -r' and check if interconnect subsystem is enabled.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated to patched version and monitor system memory usage for abnormal kernel memory consumption.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages
- Out of memory errors in kernel logs
- Increasing kernel memory usage in /proc/meminfo
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
Search for kernel panic, oops, or out of memory messages in system logs🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e0b13a1827229a02abef97b50ffaf89ba25370a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3167306455d0fbbbcf08cb25651acc527a86a95e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5904f415e1af72fa8fe6665aa4f554dc2099a95
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1722e4113281fb34e5b4fb5c5387b17cd39a537
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/efae80ca13faa94457208852825731da44a788ad
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1e3a20c60196c37a402c584d0c9de306ba988ce
