CVE-2023-53146 – This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's dw2102... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53146?

CVE-2023-53146 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's dw2102 media driver allows a local attacker to trigger a null pointer dereference by sending specially crafted I2C messages. This can cause a kernel panic or system crash, affecting systems using the dw2102 DVB driver for specific digital TV tuners.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's dw2102 media driver allows a local attacker to trigger a null pointer dereference by sending specially crafted I2C messages. This can cause a kernel panic or system crash, affecting systems using the dw2102 DVB driver for specific digital TV tuners.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with dw2102 driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable if dw2102 driver module is loaded (typically for specific DVB-T/T2/C tuners like DW2102/DW2104)

📦 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...

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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 denial of service, potentially requiring physical reboot.

🟠

Likely Case

Local denial of service through kernel crash, requiring system restart.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if the vulnerable driver module is not loaded or system has proper access controls.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to trigger the vulnerability.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes with I2C access can cause system instability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Requires local access and ability to send I2C messages to the vulnerable driver.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commit 08dfcbd03b2b7f918c4f87c6ff637054e510df74 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/08dfcbd03b2b7f918c4f87c6ff637054e510df74

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify dw2102 module loads correctly if needed.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Unload vulnerable driver module

linux

Remove the dw2102 kernel module if not needed

sudo rmmod dw2102

Blacklist driver module

linux

Prevent dw2102 module from loading at boot

echo 'blacklist dw2102' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-dw2102.conf

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to systems using dw2102 hardware
Implement strict I2C device access controls

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if dw2102 module is loaded: lsmod | grep dw2102, then check kernel version against patched versions

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commit: grep -q '08dfcbd03b2b7f918c4f87c6ff637054e510df74' /proc/version_signature || uname -r

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
System crash/reboot events

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "NULL pointer dereference") AND process="dw2102_i2c_transfer"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53146

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-476

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (4.4th percentile)

Published: May 14, 2025

Last Updated: November 12, 2025

🔗 References

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