CVE-2023-53226
📋 TL;DR
This CVE-2023-53226 is an out-of-bounds (OOB) and integer underflow vulnerability in the mwifiex WiFi driver in the Linux kernel. It allows attackers to potentially crash systems or execute arbitrary code by sending specially crafted packets to vulnerable systems. Affected systems are those running Linux kernels with the mwifiex driver enabled.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with mwifiex 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 →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
Remote code execution leading to full system compromise, kernel panic causing denial of service, or privilege escalation to kernel mode.
Likely Case
System crash or kernel panic resulting in denial of service, potentially requiring physical access or reboot to restore functionality.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to network segmentation, firewall rules, or lack of WiFi connectivity to affected interfaces.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted packets to vulnerable WiFi interfaces. No authentication needed but requires network access to the WiFi interface.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel versions containing the fix commits (11958528161731c58e105b501ed60b83a91ea941 and related)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11958528161731c58e105b501ed60b83a91ea941
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify mwifiex driver is updated.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable mwifiex driver
LinuxBlacklist or disable the mwifiex kernel module if not needed
echo 'blacklist mwifiex' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod mwifiex
Network segmentation
allIsolate WiFi networks from critical systems using firewalls and VLANs
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable WiFi interfaces completely if not required
- Implement strict network access controls to limit who can communicate with WiFi interfaces
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if mwifiex module is loaded: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep mwifiex'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is patched and check dmesg/logs for mwifiex driver version📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- mwifiex driver crash logs in dmesg
- System crash/reboot events
Network Indicators:
- Unusual packet patterns to WiFi interfaces
- Malformed management frames on WiFi networks
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("mwifiex" OR "kernel panic")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11958528161731c58e105b501ed60b83a91ea941
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29eca8b7863d1d7de6c5b746b374e3487d14f154
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3975e21d4d01efaf0296ded40d11c06589c49245
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3fe3923d092e22d87d1ed03e2729db444b8c1331
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/650d1bc02fba7b42f476d8b6643324abac5921ed
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7c54b6fc39eb1aac51cf2945f8a25e2a47fdca02
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8824aa4ab62c800f75d96f48e1883a5f56ec5869
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7300e3800e9fd5405e88ce67709c1a97783b9c8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f517c97fc129995de77dd06aa5a74f909ebf568f
