CVE-2023-53274
📋 TL;DR
A memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's MediaTek MT8183 clock driver allows out-of-bounds writes when using the simple-probe mechanism. This can lead to system crashes or silent memory corruption affecting unrelated processes. Systems using Linux kernels with the vulnerable MT8183 clock driver are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with MediaTek MT8183 clock 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel memory corruption leading to system crashes, privilege escalation, or arbitrary code execution in kernel context.
Likely Case
System instability, crashes, or unpredictable behavior due to memory corruption in kernel space.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if systems are patched or don't use the affected clock driver configuration.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and specific conditions with the MT8183 clock driver configuration.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel with commit 1eb8d61ac5c9c7ec56bb96d433532807509b9288 or 45d69917a4af6c869193f95932dc6d6f15d5ef86
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1eb8d61ac5c9c7ec56bb96d433532807509b9288
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commit. 2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source. 3. Reboot system to load patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable simple-probe mechanism
linuxAvoid using the simple-probe mechanism for MT8183 clock driver if possible
echo 'blacklist clk-mt8183' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-mt8183.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local access to affected systems
- Monitor systems for crashes or unusual behavior indicating memory corruption
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if MT8183 clock driver is loaded: lsmod | grep mt8183Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version contains fix commit: git log --oneline | grep '1eb8d61ac5c9c7ec56bb96d433532807509b9288' or '45d69917a4af6c869193f95932dc6d6f15d5ef86'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- Out-of-bounds memory access errors in dmesg
- KASAN error reports
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
search 'kernel panic' OR 'KASAN' OR 'out-of-bounds' in system logs