CVE-2023-53261
📋 TL;DR
A memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's CoreSight subsystem where ACPI buffer memory isn't properly freed after use. This affects Linux systems using CoreSight hardware tracing with ACPI firmware tables. The vulnerability allows gradual memory exhaustion over time.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with CoreSight subsystem enabled
📦 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
System memory exhaustion leading to denial of service, system instability, or crashes requiring reboot
Likely Case
Gradual memory consumption over time, potentially affecting system performance and stability
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory limits in place
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to trigger CoreSight ACPI operations, typically through local access or kernel module loading
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 1a9e02673e2550f5612099e64e8761f0c8fc0f50 or d1b60e7c9fee34eaedf1fc4e0471f75b33f83a4a
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1a9e02673e2550f5612099e64e8761f0c8fc0f50
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify CoreSight functionality if used.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable CoreSight subsystem
allPrevent exploitation by disabling the vulnerable subsystem
echo 'blacklist coresight' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement memory monitoring and alerting for unusual consumption patterns
- Restrict local user access and kernel module loading capabilities
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if CoreSight modules are loaded: lsmod | grep coresightCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version contains fix commits: uname -r and verify against patched versions📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel OOM (Out of Memory) messages
- System memory exhaustion warnings
- CoreSight subsystem errors
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
search 'kernel: Out of memory' OR 'kernel: oom-killer' OR 'systemd-udevd memory leak'