CVE-2023-53238 – This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write in... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53238?

CVE-2023-53238 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (HIGH). This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write in the Hisilicon PHY driver in the Linux kernel, caused by an incorrect boundary check in the hisi_inno_phy_probe() function. It affects Linux systems using the Hisilicon PHY hardware driver and could allow local attackers to cause kernel memory corruption, potentially leading to system crashes or privilege escalation.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write in the Hisilicon PHY driver in the Linux kernel, caused by an incorrect boundary check in the hisi_inno_phy_probe() function. It affects Linux systems using the Hisilicon PHY hardware driver and could allow local attackers to cause kernel memory corruption, potentially leading to system crashes or privilege escalation.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with Hisilicon PHY driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions containing the vulnerable hisi_inno_phy_probe() function before the fix commits

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable if the Hisilicon PHY hardware is present and the driver is loaded. Many systems may not use this specific hardware.

📦 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 →

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

Local privilege escalation to root, kernel panic causing system crash, or arbitrary code execution in kernel context.

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel panic leading to denial of service (system crash) when the vulnerable driver is loaded and accessed.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if the vulnerable driver is not loaded or the system is patched.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel vulnerability requiring local access to exploit.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users with local access could potentially exploit this to crash systems or escalate privileges.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and knowledge of the vulnerable driver. Exploitation would need to trigger the specific code path with controlled parameters.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 01cb355bb92e8fcf8306e11a4774d610c5864e39, 13c088cf3657d70893d75cf116be937f1509cc0f, 195e806b2afb0bad6470c9094f7e45e0cf109ee0, 2843a2e703f5cb85c9eeca11b7ee90861635a010, 6d8a71e4c3a2fa4960cc50996e76a42b62fab677

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

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load patched kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Hisilicon PHY driver

linux

Prevent loading of the vulnerable driver module

echo 'blacklist hisi_inno_phy' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod hisi_inno_phy

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local access to systems with vulnerable kernel versions
Implement strict privilege separation and limit user access to kernel interfaces

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if Hisilicon PHY driver is loaded: lsmod | grep hisi_inno_phy

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check kernel version includes fix commits or verify driver version after update

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
System crash/reboot logs
Driver loading errors in dmesg

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel panic events or unexpected system reboots on Linux hosts

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53238

CVSS v3 Score: 7.1 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-125

EPSS Score: 0.01% exploit probability (1.2th percentile)

Published: September 15, 2025

Last Updated: January 14, 2026

🔗 References

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