CVE-2023-53102
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Intel ice driver allows a NULL pointer dereference when handling XDP socket operations. This can cause kernel crashes and denial of service on systems using Intel Ethernet 800 Series network adapters with XDP enabled. The vulnerability affects Linux systems with specific kernel versions and hardware configurations.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Intel ice 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
Kernel panic leading to system crash and complete denial of service, potentially requiring physical access to reboot the affected system.
Likely Case
System crash or kernel panic when XDP operations are performed on affected Intel network interfaces, causing service disruption.
If Mitigated
No impact if XDP is not used or if the system doesn't have Intel 800 Series Ethernet adapters.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to trigger XDP operations on affected interfaces. The vulnerability was discovered through normal development testing and crash reports.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 243cde8de10894d7812c8a6b62653bf04d8f9700, 2ecc6e44959382f95c9d427cd8da85121a9cecda, b830c9642386867863ac64295185f896ff2928ac, b89a453c6918e0f346fb0562e8c7812b94d28c73, cccba1ff0798a27f7b8d0c06762ef977400a2afb
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/243cde8de10894d7812c8a6b62653bf04d8f9700
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version and that ice driver is updated.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable XDP on Intel ice interfaces
linuxPrevent XDP operations on vulnerable Intel Ethernet interfaces
# Remove XDP programs from affected interfaces
ip link set dev <interface> xdp off
Disable affected network interfaces
linuxTemporarily disable Intel 800 Series Ethernet interfaces if not critical
ip link set dev <interface> down
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Avoid using XDP features on Intel 800 Series Ethernet interfaces
- Monitor system logs for kernel crashes related to ice driver and restart affected services
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if system has Intel 800 Series Ethernet adapters and XDP is enabled: 'lspci | grep -i ethernet' and 'ip link show | grep xdp'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version includes fix commits: 'uname -r' and verify with distribution patch notes📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
- BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference messages
- ice driver crash logs
- System crash/panic events
Network Indicators:
- Sudden network interface failures on Intel adapters
- XDP program failures
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "ice_clean_rx_irq_zc" OR "ice_qp_dis")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/243cde8de10894d7812c8a6b62653bf04d8f9700
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ecc6e44959382f95c9d427cd8da85121a9cecda
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b830c9642386867863ac64295185f896ff2928ac
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b89a453c6918e0f346fb0562e8c7812b94d28c73
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cccba1ff0798a27f7b8d0c06762ef977400a2afb
