CVE-2023-53267
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Xilinx driver component of the Linux kernel. When memory allocation fails in the xlnx_add_cb_for_notify_event() function, the kernel fails to properly free previously allocated memory, leading to gradual memory exhaustion. This affects systems running Linux kernels with the Xilinx driver enabled.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Xilinx 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or potential kernel crashes.
Likely Case
Gradual memory consumption over time leading to performance degradation and potential system instability.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory limits in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to trigger the specific driver function, typically through local access or kernel-level access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commit 1bea534991b9b35c41848a397666ada436456beb or later
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1bea534991b9b35c41848a397666ada436456beb
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify Xilinx driver is updated.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Xilinx driver
LinuxIf Xilinx hardware is not required, disable the vulnerable driver module
modprobe -r xilinx_driver_module
echo 'blacklist xilinx_driver_module' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement memory usage monitoring and alerts for kernel memory exhaustion
- Restrict local user access to systems with Xilinx hardware/driver
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if Xilinx driver is loaded: lsmod | grep xilinx. Check kernel version against patched commits.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes commit 1bea534991b9b35c41848a397666ada436456beb📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel OOM (Out of Memory) messages
- System memory exhaustion warnings
- Driver-related kernel panics
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "OOM" OR "memory allocation failure")