CVE-2023-53318
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's recordmcount utility within the uwrite function. The vulnerability occurs when realloc fails but the original memory isn't properly freed, potentially leading to memory exhaustion. This affects Linux systems using the recordmcount tool during kernel module building.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could trigger repeated memory allocation failures leading to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or potential kernel crashes.
Likely Case
Memory leak during kernel module compilation could cause compilation failures or system performance degradation under specific conditions.
If Mitigated
With proper memory management controls and monitoring, impact would be limited to occasional compilation failures without system-wide effects.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger specific memory allocation patterns during kernel module compilation
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits referenced in CVE)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/25c9b185f121812cbc215fdaa1192c6b9025b428
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from stable tree
2. Recompile any custom kernel modules
3. No system restart required for kernel module compilation tools
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Limit kernel module compilation
allRestrict kernel module compilation to trusted users and systems only
chmod 750 /usr/src/linux-headers-*
setfacl -m u:trusteduser:rwx /usr/src/linux-headers-*
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls on kernel source directories
- Monitor system memory usage during kernel compilation processes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and verify if recordmcount patches are applied: grep -r 'recordmcount' /usr/src/linux-headers-*/scripts/recordmcount.cCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes patched commits: uname -r and check git log for referenced commit hashes📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel compilation failures
- Out of memory errors during module building
- Recordmcount process crashes
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
process_name:"recordmcount" AND (event_type:"process_crash" OR memory_usage:"high")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/25c9b185f121812cbc215fdaa1192c6b9025b428
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d9ca5f62f2ba160ff9c9be4adf401c46c04edef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ed95a6f6c646e8bb15c354536e0ab10e8f39c08
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/444ec005404cead222ebce2561a9451c9ee5ad89
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/895130e63c93926f07caf5db286b97bd27b81de9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bd39f68a309a947670379bf9a39b16c584f86ddb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fa359d068574d29e7d2f0fdd0ebe4c6a12b5cfb9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ff70ad9159fbb566b2c15724f44207e8deccd527
