CVE-2023-53203
📋 TL;DR
This CVE addresses a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the mt7996 WiFi driver of the Linux kernel. If exploited, it could cause a kernel panic or system crash on devices using MediaTek MT7996 WiFi chips. The vulnerability affects Linux systems with specific kernel versions and the mt76 driver module loaded.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with mt76 WiFi 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially requiring physical reboot of affected devices.
Likely Case
System instability or crashes when the vulnerable code path is triggered during WiFi operations.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched or if the vulnerable driver module is not loaded.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires triggering the specific code path in mt7996_mac_write_txwi() function, likely through WiFi operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 0765b5b4719f0435bb019370b317d2fb8138eb34 and 0b8e2d69467f78a7c9d87b452220e87012435e33
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0765b5b4719f0435bb019370b317d2fb8138eb34
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Rebuild and reload mt76 driver module if using custom kernel. 3. Verify driver version after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable mt76 driver module
allPrevent loading of vulnerable mt76 driver if MT7996 hardware is not required
echo 'blacklist mt76' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod mt76
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable WiFi functionality on affected systems if not required
- Restrict local user access to systems with vulnerable driver loaded
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if mt76 driver is loaded: lsmod | grep mt76. Check kernel version: uname -r and verify against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is patched and check driver functionality remains intact.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
- NULL pointer dereference errors related to mt76 or mt7996
Network Indicators:
- WiFi connectivity issues on affected systems
SIEM Query:
search 'kernel panic' OR 'NULL pointer dereference' AND 'mt76' OR 'mt7996'