CVE-2023-53115
📋 TL;DR
A memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mpi3mr SCSI driver allows attackers to cause denial of service by exhausting system memory when the IOC (Integrated Out-of-band Controller) is reinitialized. This affects systems using the mpi3mr driver for Broadcom SAS/SATA/NVMe controllers. The vulnerability requires local access to trigger.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with mpi3mr 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system crash or unresponsiveness due to memory exhaustion, potentially requiring physical reboot.
Likely Case
Degraded system performance, application failures, or kernel panics on affected systems when IOC reinitialization occurs.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper memory monitoring and restart procedures in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger IOC reinitialization. No public exploit code identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel with fixes from commits 5aab9342f12f, 7277b4eec2f2, c798304470ca
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5aab9342f12f980b64617a034d121efbbf09100a
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing fixes. 2. Reboot system. 3. Verify mpi3mr driver is loaded with patched version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable mpi3mr driver
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver if not required
echo 'blacklist mpi3mr' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod mpi3mr
Monitor memory usage
linuxImplement memory monitoring to detect leaks early
watch -n 5 'free -h'
grep -i mem /proc/meminfo
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized local access
- Monitor system logs for IOC reinitialization events and memory exhaustion warnings
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if mpi3mr driver is loaded: lsmod | grep mpi3mr. Check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits. Check dmesg for successful driver initialization without memory leak warnings.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oom-killer messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- Repeated mpi3mr initialization logs
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("mpi3mr" OR "memory leak" OR "allocation failure")