CVE-2023-53316 – This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the L... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53316?

CVE-2023-53316 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DisplayPort (DP) driver for MSM (Qualcomm) platforms. It allows attackers with local access to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service by triggering memory corruption. Systems running affected Linux kernel versions with MSM DP hardware are vulnerable.

📋 TL;DR

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DisplayPort (DP) driver for MSM (Qualcomm) platforms. It allows attackers with local access to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service by triggering memory corruption. Systems running affected Linux kernel versions with MSM DP hardware are vulnerable.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific versions containing the vulnerable code (check patch commits for exact ranges)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with MSM (Qualcomm) DisplayPort hardware support enabled in kernel configuration.

📦 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

Local privilege escalation to kernel mode, allowing complete system compromise and persistent access.

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel panic or system crash leading to denial of service, potentially requiring physical intervention to restart.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper access controls prevent local attackers from triggering the vulnerable code path.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to exploit, not directly reachable via network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local attackers or malicious users could exploit this to escalate privileges or crash systems.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger DP controller removal/unbind operations.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: 3c3f3d35f5e05c468b048eb42a4f8c62c6655692, 4e9f1a2367aea7d61f6781213e25313cd983b0d7, 5c3278db06e332fdc14f3f297499fb88ded264d2, c67a55f7cc8d767d624235bf1bcd0947e56abe0f, ca47d0dc00968358c136a1847cfed550cedfd1b5

Vendor Advisory: https://patchwork.freedesktop.org/patch/542166/

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable MSM DP driver module

linux

Prevent loading of vulnerable driver if not needed

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

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local access to prevent exploitation by untrusted users
Implement strict privilege separation and limit user capabilities

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if kernel version is before patched commits and CONFIG_DRM_MSM_DP is enabled

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes the fix commits and test DP functionality

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages related to drm/msm/dp
System crashes during DP operations

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel panic logs containing 'drm/msm/dp' or 'use-after-free'

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53316

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-416

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

Published: September 16, 2025

Last Updated: January 14, 2026

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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